Bone broth has been all the rage the past few years for human health, but is it also beneficial for our dogs? Absolutely! Bone broth has been shown to:
- support joint health
- help detox the liver
- support digestive health and soothe a compromised gut
- provide nutrients for a sick dog
- help boost the immune system
- offer relief from food and environmental allergies
- benefit an upset tummy
- tempt picky eaters
Bone Broth Is Good for Joints
In the book Deep Nutrition, Dr Cate Shanahan writes “The health of your joints depends upon the health of the collagen in your ligaments, tendons, and on the ends of your bones. Collagens are a large family of biomolecules, which include the glycosaminoglycans, very special molecules that help keep our joints healthy.”
Bone broth is loaded with glycosaminoglycans and you might even be familiar with one of them: glucosamine. Not only does bone broth contain super amazing amounts of glucosamine, it’s also packed with other joint protecting compounds like chondroitin and hyaluronic acid.
Moreover, the glycosaminoglycans from bone broth are resistant to digestion and are absorbed in their intact form. According to Dr Shanahan, they act like hormones, stimulating cells called fibroblasts, which lay down collagen in the joints, tendons, ligaments and even the arteries.
Bone Broth Helps the Liver Detox
The liver is the master organ of detoxification. A dog’s liver is under assault daily as the poor dog lies on carpets and floors treated with chemicals, walks on grass that’s been treated and sprayed with poisons, consumes foods with toxic and synthetic ingredients, and suffers through toxic dewormers, flea and tick preventives, drugs, antibiotics, vaccines and more.
The liver was never meant to suffer this onslaught of chemicals and its capacity to detoxify is limited by the availability of the amino acid glycine. Bone broth has tons of glycine!
Bone Broth Promotes a Healthy Gut
The lining of the intestines contains millions of tiny holes that allow the passage of digested nutrients to enter the body. Stress, poor diet and bacterial overgrowth can cause more holes to open or to become bigger. This condition is called leaky gut.
The problem with those big holes is that things can pass through that aren’t meant to, including undigested food matter, toxins and yeast. The body will notice those undigested food particles as foreign invaders and start to attack them. This is how allergies and food sensitivities develop.
Bone broth is loaded with gelatin, a gooey substance that can plug up those leaky holes.
Bone Broth Is Great Nutrition for Sick Dogs
Have you ever had a dog with terrible diarrhea and had trouble getting him back on solid food? Or a dog who is convalescing with loss of appetite but you know he needs more nutrition?
Bone broth to the rescue! Studies conducted in the 1800’s showed that when there is plenty of gelatin in the diet, the body’s need for protein from meat sources can be reduced by as much as fifty percent! Bone broth is also an excellent source of important minerals and can bolster the immune system (think chicken soup)!
Bone broth is also loaded with glycine, which aids digestion by helping to regulate the synthesis of bile salts and secretion of gastric acid.
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