We all love a bone broth or a knuckle curry when we eat beef or mutton, don't we? We all especially love sucking out the 'marrow' inside the bone. Apart from its taste, did you know that this bone marrow is something that provides incredible benefits to our health? People all over the world have used bone marrow as a nutritious food since ancient times. Today, let's talk about the amazing health benefits of this delicious bone marrow for our body.
What exactly is bone marrow?
Simply put, bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside the bones of animals. It is most commonly found in large bones like the spine, hip, and thigh. What makes it special is that it contains stem cells, which are the cells that make the red and white blood cells that our bodies need. These cells do many important things, such as carrying oxygen throughout the body and helping blood clot.
What are the health benefits of bone marrow?
As bone marrow became a popular dish in famous restaurants around the world, doctors and scientists began to pay more attention to it. That's when these surprising health benefits were discovered.
Reduces the risk of weight-related diseases
Imagine, there is a special hormone called `(Adiponectin)` in the fat tissue in the bone marrow. This hormone helps break down body fat. It also helps maintain insulin sensitivity. Therefore, this `(Adiponectin)` hormone can reduce the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer caused by obesity.
Studies have found that high levels of adiponectin in the body are directly linked to a reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease. It has been shown that people who are overweight have low levels of this hormone, and that when they lose weight, their levels increase.
Keeps skin, bones, and joints healthy
This is something that is important to many people. Bone marrow is full of ``Collagen.'' Collagen is a protein that increases the health and strength of skin and bones. Collagen helps reduce things like skin wrinkles and bone weakness as we age.
In addition, bone marrow is also rich in a compound called ``Glucosamine.`` This is very helpful in fighting osteoarthritis, relieving joint pain, and reducing inflammation in the joints. If your joints like your knees and elbows hurt all the time, this can be very important.
Helps reduce inflammation in the body
Chronic inflammation in the body is at the root of many serious diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer's.
Bone marrow contains a lot of compounds called `(Glycine)` and `(Conjugated Linoleic Acid)`. Both of these have been scientifically proven to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. So, adding bone marrow to the diet can help protect against such serious diseases to some extent.
Let's look at the nutrition in bone marrow.
Bone marrow is high in fat and calories, but it is also rich in many valuable nutrients, such as vitamin B12.
Below is an example of the nutrients contained in 100 grams of reindeer bone marrow and how much of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDI) they represent.
| Nutrient | Percentage of Daily Value (% of RDI) |
|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 52% |
| Riboflavin | 39% |
| Iron | 17% |
| Vitamin E | 15% |
| Vitamin A | 5% |
| Thiamine | 2% |
Also, here are the nutrients contained in 100 grams of raw caribou bone marrow.
- Calories: 785
- Fat: 84 grams
- Protein: 7 grams
The most important thing is that although bone marrow is rich in vitamins and minerals, it is also very high in fat and calories. So if you add bone marrow to your diet, be sure to do it in moderation . Otherwise, you may gain weight.
How do you prepare bone marrow for eating?
There are several ways to add bone marrow to your food. The most important thing is to buy good, clean bones from a reputable butcher .
Cow bone marrow is the most popular in the world. When you go to the butcher shop and ask for bone marrow, they will give you good bones (e.g. thigh bones, collar bones, knuckles, tail bones).
As gravy and soup
This is the traditional method that we all know. You can make broth by boiling the bones for about 36 to 48 hours. When boiled this way, the marrow and other nutrients in the bones are added to the broth.
Tempered
You can use bone marrow as an oil. Heat some bones, scoop out the marrow inside with a spoon, and put it in a hot pan with a little olive oil. Then you can add something like vegetables to it and simmer it.
As a sauce
Especially when making sauces that go with meat, you can add bone marrow to it. Just like making a broth, take the marrow and add it to the sauce you're making.
Spread like butter
Bone marrow can be used like butter. You can take the marrow from a roasted bone and spread it on a piece of bread or cracker.
Additionally, bone marrow extract is available in liquid, powder, and capsule form on the market. However, if you are using these as a treatment for a specific medical condition, it is essential to first consult your doctor.
Take-Home Message
- Bone marrow is not only a flavoring agent, but also a highly nutritious food.
- The collagen and glucosamine contained in it are very helpful in maintaining the health of the skin, bones, and joints. It especially helps in reducing joint pain.
- Bone marrow has the ability to reduce chronic inflammation in the body, which is associated with serious diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
- Since this is a food high in fat and calories, always eat in moderation if you add it to your diet.
- It is very important to talk to your family doctor before adding anything new to your diet with the aim of improving your health.
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