Is Broth Really Good For You?
Winter in Toronto is a tough season. From unpredictable snowfalls to bone-chilling cold temperatures, getting to and from anywhere can leave a person shaking and trying to find warmth.
As a hot meal, not to mention its nutritional benefits, broth is a favourite. Made from a mix of ingredients a la spices, brewed bones, and connective tissues, the result offers a long list of benefits.
Broth is having a bit of a star moment in Toronto. It’s trending. We’re seeing local restaurants being singled out for the quality of their broth — or lack thereof. Also, we are seeing ‘broth bars’ on the rise (which is sort of like a café except instead of tea and coffee) and they’re handing out different varieties of broth on-the-go.
Understandably, all this is why broth has received a lot of attention from nutrition-focused folks searching for better health and a comfort meal after a winter’s day. Is broth really healthy? In this article, we take a look at exactly what broth is, how it’s made, and the health benefits that come with it.
What is Broth?
The broth is a clear liquid that’s made from boiling down pieces of meat and bones down into a protein-rich, nutrient-dense liquid. Broth can be had on its own or used as a base for pho, soups, risottos, or stews.
Health Benefit 1- Amino Acids
A lot goes into making broth. The bones and meats used contain abundances of minerals, in addition to providing up to 17 amino acids. This is all filtered into a bowl of broth, which is very beneficial to aspects of long-term health such as cell regeneration.
Health Benefit 2 — Collagen
Broth is packed with collagen. This is a protein found in our skin, cartilage, and bones. When increasing your intake of collagen, you provide these parts of your body with a key ingredient keeping them strong and healthy.
Health Benefit 3 — Vitamins
Broth has a long list of vitamins and nutrients in it, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, glucosamine, chondroitin, phosphorous, vitamin A, vitamin K2, omega-3s, omega-6s, iron, zinc, selenium, boron, manganese, thiamin (B1), and others.
Health Benefit 4 — Weight Loss
Broth is great for weight loss and weight maintenance. Fitness aficionados and gym-goers absolutely love broth which helps to boost metabolism, improve the processing of antioxidants, and support growth hormone production.
Health Benefit 5 — Fills Your Appetite
Tagging onto the prior point, broth mimics a lot of the nutrition of meats and veggies without excessive carbs or calories. It’s low-fat, low-calorie, and low-carb. It also fills your appetite, reducing cravings and helping a person trying to lose weight keep their hunger under control.
Health Benefit 6 — Treats Pain
Pouring a bowl of broth out for you, it’s a meal used to treat various forms of pain. Joint pain, fibromyalgia, and arthritis have all responded favorably to the consumption of bone broth. Ingredients such as glucosamine help to support joint flexibility and cartilage restoration.
Health Benefit 7 — Immune System Boosting
In folk medicine, broth was used as a cure for the common cold and to aid in sickness. As has been revealed, the many components of broth help to boost the immune system and give it a little extra to fight against the risks of viruses in winter.
Health Benefit 8 — Helps Digestion and Gut Health
Gelatin is an abundant protein in broth that binds with water in the digestive tract, helping food make its way through the intestines as it is fully digested. There is also early evidence presenting gelatin as a potential aid in tackling the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.
Health Benefit 9 — It’s A Celebrity Beauty Secret
A lot of celebrities swear by bone broth as their ultimate beauty secret. Kylie Jenner, Shailene Woodley, Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Mindy Kaling are all broth fans. The minerals — i.e. potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients — help to keep their skin glowing.
Health Benefit 10 — Anti-Aging
A broth’s collagen content alone has amazing anti-aging benefits you get with every cup, however, that’s not all. Bone broth increases plasma levels of glycine and proline — two amino acids used in the forming of collagen. This means not only are you consuming it but you’re receiving the building blocks you need to make collagen.
Health Benefit 11 — Teeth, Skin, Nails, and Hair
The regular consumption of broth helps to enhance the moisture, smoothness, and youthful appearance of skin. It has a similar impact on hair, nail growth, and dental health. All in all, a quality broth makes your body more efficient at maintenance. As we age, we lose some efficiency, to put it kindly. Broth is one of several things you can do to restore this quality.
Why Pho Offers the Best Broth this Winter
Pho is a healthy Vietnamese soup, originally brought to Canada decades ago by emigrating Vietnamese families.
The base of pho is broth. Where you’ll find the best-tasting broth in Toronto is from pho from TorontoPHO.
For us, broth is a part of our culture. It’s a tradition we hold dear. Making and drinking bone broth is something that has been done in Vietnamese culture long before it ever caught on as a mainstream health trend.
We haven’t even got into how we use broth in pho. With pho, you get spices and herbs, it’s an abundant source of protein, the noodles are gluten-free, and it’s packed with vegetables — all depending on the variety, of course.
As filling as broth is on its own, in Pho, you get a few additional nutrients, some carbs, and more protein.
The way we make our broth is very specific. Made in-house at each of our three Toronto PHO locations in the GTA, we use a recipe that originated with my father and which has never changed. The broth we serve our clientele is the same broth that’s been served to our family for decades.
Ensuring a clear broth while minimizing fat in the broth, we spend two hours skimming excess fat from the top. The whole recipe requires about six hours of cooking time but the process is well worth it!
On any given month, the team at Toronto PHO makes about 10,000 litres of broth. All this is delivered to Torontonians like you throughout the city.
TorontoPHO is a leader in Vietnamese pho in Toronto. We always start with the broth. It’s the perfect warm meal to combat winter with. Please feel encouraged to stop in this winter and schedule a curbside pick-up or order delivery through our website!
Toronto Pho is a family-owned restaurant serving the best pho and late night eats. Search for Best Pho near me , you will find one of our 4 locations across Ontario, we offer fast delivery and online ordering for pickup or delivery through our easy to use app available for both Android and iPhone smart phones.
source: https://www.torontopho.com/blogs/is-broth-really-good-for-you.html
