Jarrow's Bone Broth Powder: It's Amazing for Joints, Digestive Issues, and More

We have been searching for a good bone broth powder to carry in the store and have finally found one!  We now have Jarrow Bone Broth Powder for sale in the store, in both beef and chicken varieties. Powdered bone broth is much more economical than buying bone broth liquid (which we do also have at the store), and still makes a delicious, steamy mug.

Bone broth is an incredibly nutrient dense whole food. It is a natural source of type I and II collagen, which is amazing for skin and joint health. The collagen found in bone broth also contains natural forms of glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid- all nutrients which are well known for supporting the cartilage in our joints and helping arthritis-related joint pain.
Interestingly, bone broth is also incredibly healing to the digestive tract, and is something that would be particularly helpful for people with Celiac or any other digestive issues. Drinking bone broth is very comforting to the intestines, and actually helps to supply the body with specific amino acids and other natural compounds which can help to heal and repair the intestinal lining (nutrients not easily found in sufficient quantities in other foods). 

I actually went to a seminar many years ago about natural ways to help people with Celiac, and the speaker recommended simmering a variety of bones and even chicken feet for days, saying that it made a broth which he said was, “The best thing for people with Celiac disease and other digestive issues” due to the types of collagen found in such a broth. I think most of us there thought that sounded a little weird, so it’s funny how that seemingly strange advice is now becoming so well known, and now we’re hearing more and more testimonials of people who have used bone broth with impressive results for their digestive problems. 

In addition to joint, skin, and digestive health, research has even shown that bone broth can help with boosting the immune system, something we could all use as the weather turns colder.

Jarrow’s bone broth is unique in that it also has additional natural calcium and silicon, two other nutrients crucial for bone health. The type of silicon in Jarrow’s bone broth has also been clinically shown to help with reducing wrinkle depth and improving skin elasticity.

When choosing a bone broth, it’s important to use a brand you trust, since I’ve been reading more and more reports about how many bone broths on the market are not much different from regular beef or chicken broth. I trust Jarrow as a company (they make some of my favorite products) and love that they list the actual amounts of nutrients per serving (including the amounts of collagen) right on the label, so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Bone broth powder is great mixed by itself with hot water in a mug, but it can even be added to soups or other foods for an added nutrient boost. One naturopath I read an article from recommended swapping a hot cup of bone broth for one’s afternoon coffee or tea- something I think is a great idea!

Jarrow’s bone broth powder is available in both chicken and beef varieties and will be on sale for 25% off for the entire month of November.

Digestive Enzymes for Bloating, Gas, and Indigestion

Q: I’ve been experiencing a lot of gas and bloating after eating lately. I’ve been eating out at work more, which I know doesn’t help, but I just feel like so often when I eat now, the food is just sitting like a rock in my stomach. Is there anything natural you’d suggest that could help?  Maybe this is just part of getting older.

A: Absolutely there are things that can help, and the simple thing I’d recommend most would be digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes work by helping to break down the foods we eat- carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and proteins- into smaller particles that our body can use. Our bodies produce digestive enzymes naturally, though that amount decreases as we age, which is a large part of why as the years pass, many people begin to have digestive issues, when they never did before.

In nature, all animals except for humans and pets, eat their foods raw, whole, and organic, foods that contain abundant enzymes which help the digestive process. When we eat whole, fresh, raw foods, the enzymes the food naturally contains go a long way in helping our bodies to break it down for digestion.

With our modern lifestyle, however, the majority of foods we eat are cooked, stored, and processed, which destroys a large part of those beneficial enzymes. This puts the pressure on our bodies to make more enzymes and work much harder to completely digest the food we’ve eaten. Our bodies were simply not made to have to do that. They can, but over the years, digestion can become impaired, leading to digestive issues like bloating, stomach pains, and even food sensitivities or intolerances. Our pancreas and salivary glands do make enzymes, but they are meant to top off the enzymes naturally present in foods, not to be adequate on their own.

The solutions are these: number one, eat a raw food diet (something that is tricky to do and difficult to sustain in the long run), or number two, supplement with digestive enzymes.

I love digestive enzymes because they are completely safe. They do not stop your body from making its own enzymes or impair anything that the body does naturally, they only are adding additional enzymes to help the body break down foods easier.

Proper digestion is crucial for overall health, plus, it just makes life better, and enzymes are an easy way to help. Enzymes can be beneficial for everyone, whether you are having digestive issues all the time or only occasionally. For a person with chronic bloating and digestive troubles, I’d recommend an enzyme supplement with each meal. Enzymes need to be taken with your food to be work, so getting in the habit of taking enzymes when you eat can make a big difference.

I have good digestion, thankfully, but even someone without chronic digestive troubles can benefit from an enzyme supplement occasionally. I always keep a bottle in the house just in case. They’re fantastic for those times when you may have eaten too much, or when something just doesn’t agree with you.

Digestive enzymes can also be helpful for people with food sensitivities or food intolerances. Food sensitivities (which medical professionals are not saying is the correct term, rather than a food intolerance) are different than an allergy. If you have an allergy to a food, or a disease like Celiac, digestive enzymes will not help you, because it’s important to completely avoid those problem foods. In the case of a food sensitivity, however, the trouble is often that the body is unable to produce the enzymes to digest a certain food, whether it’s dairy, wheat, or what have you, which will then cause digestive distress when that food is eaten. Improper digestion of specific foods can cause, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and more. Supplementing with a full spectrum enzyme complex can help with digesting those foods, reducing or eliminating the symptoms of improper or incomplete digestion.

We have many fantastic enzyme supplements available at the store, though the one I’d recommend the most is Solgar’s Comfort Zone Digestive Complex. They’re vegetarian capsules (which I love since I hate swallowing tablets) that combine eleven different natural enzymes to which work together to break down hard to digest foods. In addition to a full spectrum of enzymes, Solgar’s Comfort Zone enzyme also contains a mixture of herbs like ginger, fennel, chamomile, and others which help to calm and soothe the stomach. For chronic digestive issues, I’d recommend taking one with each meal, though they can also be taken as needed for occasional indigestion.

Digestive enzymes are something everyone could benefit from at one time or another. I’d really recommend giving them a try if you’re suffering from digestive issues!