Chicken Bones

Chicken bones extracts have been researched by Harvard Medical School scientists; they are a source of a protein, gelatine and perhaps other substances. They stopped the pain and swelling in a group of 60 rheumatoid arthritis patients who had not responded well to conventional pharmaceutical treatment.

Arthritis relief

Of the 29 patients who took the collagen extract, 28 got significant relief, 4 of whom went into complete remission. The disease progressed in the 31 persons given a placebo. Dr David Trentham describes the technique as oral tolerisation; teaching rogue immune system cells in the body to stop inflaming the normal joint tissues.

It's interesting that there is increasing interest in many medical schools concerning the nutritional benefits associated with good food; herbs, seeds and nuts too.

Arthritis relief is a major challenge to all the healing professions, including chiropractors; a chicken bones bouillon, rich in cartilage, is part of the solution, say researchers of this Harvard study^[1].

In this randomized, double-blind trial involving 60 patients with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis, a decrease in the number of swollen and tender joints occurred in subjects fed chicken type II collagen for 3 months but not in those that received a placebo. Four of the thirty had complete remission.

Freeze 'em chicken bones

Don't dump your bones. Freeze them, and when you have collected enough extract the collagen.

1. Cover the bones with hot water and boil for one hour, together with a few pepper corns, and a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to help with the extraction. You can also use the skin, carcass and any bits of cartilage of the chicken.
2. Pour off and strain the gelatine-rich stock whilst it's still hot.
3. Add more boiling water and do a second extraction for say 20 minutes, and even a third if you want. The stock is rich in nutrients, calcium and the gelatine that will reduce the inflammation in your joints.

Since returning to our native South Africa, with it's attendant energy problems, and new passion for a greener planet, I have revisited the making of our our chicken bones healing bouillon. A pressure cooker reduces the time by two thirds; it also seems to do it more efficiently, so there is no second and third extraction; our dogs love the remains after I am finished with them.

Plus I do the extraction on a new induction countertop stove that uses less than half the energy of a conventional electric or gas hob.

This protein-rich stock does wonders for any vegetable soup. My family's favourite soup is this queen of the functional foods that promote wellness and help prevent disease.

If you're concerned about the fat on your bouillon, think eggplant recipes. This wonderful vegetable is known to lower cholesterol.

4. Cool and refrigerate. Scrape the fat on the surface off.

5. Freeze your bouillon in cup size containers. It's very concentrated.

Chicken Bones

This vegetable soup, using chicken bones stock, is one of our favourites. This bouillon is very rich; dilute it at least 50% with water. 

Pressure-cooking on an induction stove

• Solar pressure-cooking
• Induction cooktop stoves

Gadgets new and old save us time and money, and reduce our carbon footprint.

Soups

This broth makes wonderful soup.

You can if you choose put vegetables like onions, carrots, celery and a handful of a green in with the chicken bones. However they are cooked to death by the time you are finished with them, and probably should also go to the dogs. I personally prefer to make a concentrated stock and then have fresh vegetables in with the soup.

A good alternative is to use saved vegetable scraps like the stalks of spinach, ends of carrots and celery leaves when making your chicken bones bouillon.

If you have serious arthritis inflammation and swelling then you should be having at least some of this chicken bouillon in one form or another every day.

Organic chickens

There are serious concerns about the remnants of antibiotics, hormones and heaven knows what else in 'dem bones. There are also worries about what exactly is organic, and who polices those who use the term.

But certainly some chickens lead a more normal and organic life than others. If you can find a source of fowls that have access to the open air, will recognise a cricket and an earthworm, then be prepared to pay a premium, and use these bones for your bouillon. Our hens above are enjoying a weekly gourmet feast from the worm farm; that's the best way to deal with your kitchen waste.

Increasingly we are realising the importance of let your food be your medicine.

Right now that means free-range cage free eggs for us, and we are looking into rearing our own cockerels for truly organic hens.

Grass-fed collagen

There is no doubt that the collagen from your chicken bones has huge benefits for all the tissues in the body; it is a protein that forms the framework of our bones, skin and all connective tissues.

Collagen from free-range chickens and other animals obviously has the benefit of many other micronutrients from a more varied diet than those reared in a feedlot. Plus there are no remains of antibiotics and hormones typically needed for creatures that are kept closely confined.

There is a huge advertising campaign on currently pushing us to buy grass-fed collagen. For our part we prefer making our own from the chicken bones of birds that have been organically and ethically raised.

Don't buy chicken breasts; they are far more expensive and you can put the bones to good use.

Fish oil health benefits

Quite apart from all the known fish oil health benefits the bones and the heads can be used to make an even better gelatine and glucosamine-rich bouillon than from chicken, but with a little more trouble.

The fat in fish is far healthier than that in chicken.

Because this protein-rich extract from fish and chicken bones provides the desperately needed ingredients for cartilage repair, it is a real chiropractic help. Do yourself a big favour and make it yourself. Gelatine powder for arthritis; that is what's in the bouillon.

There's a dearth of convincing independent research proving that synthetic Glucosamine Chondroitin sulphate is anywhere near as effective. Plus your bouillon makes the perfect base for any number of soups.

• Read more about our tomato soup recipe; the best protection along with Selenium and Beta-sitosterol for your family prostate.

• The meal demanded by the maestro before every performance was Toscanini celery soup.

• Broccoli is the queen of the anti-tumour vegetables; use it in this chicken with greens recipe. It's definitely one of our favourite soups using our homemade bouillon. 
  

"People who count their chickens before they are hatched act very wisely. Why? Because they run about so absurdly after birth that it is impossible to number them accurately."

Oscar Wilde

Mushroom soup recipes 

Everyone knows that mushrooms and chicken go so well together. Even more healthy is this delicious, wholesome bouillon and vegetables for the great nutritional content of any soup.

My mushroom soup recipes has to be one of my favourites, and for every male protecting your prostate gland is not without importance. They are a great source of selenium, that vital anti-oxidant mineral.

Chiropractic help

Every chiropractor is involved daily with treating conditions that involve swelling and inflammation; a chicken bones extract may undergird the management.

Whilst it remains unresearched in the chiropractic paradigm, I would suggest that enjoying a healthy vegetable soup made with one of these bouillons would do much for your frozen shoulder or slipped disc; or the arthritis in your neck.

You could even collect the bones from your friends and neighbours though personally I only eat free-range chickens.

Best calcium for osteoporosis

Best calcium for osteoporosis isn't chicken bones, but the bouillon contributes greatly to the collagen fabric that the mineral is deposited on.

So it's great for a healthy bone structure, but not because of the calcium; that you have to get elsewhere.

Best calcium for osteoporosis is from your food; kefir is our favourite.

Links

• Healthy living tips.