The Reasons I Love Bone Broth For Beauty

Before we get into why you should skip the Botox and drink bone broth instead, let me quickly recap all the top health benefits of consuming bone broth that I previously discussed in this post:

1. Heals the gut lining (see Pete’s Paleo 30 Day Gut Healing Kit)
2. Supports healthy digestion and nutrient absorption (bone broth should have a lead role in the book, Everybody Poops)
3. Boosts the immune system (yes you can ditch all those nasty OTC cold prevention meds now)
4. Strengthens bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and aids arthritis (ditch all your icy hot products and sip on some of our broth, just like top CrossFitter and Pete’s Paleo athlete Josh Bridges does)
5. Promotes healthy, glowing skin, nails and hair (so much cheaper than weekly facials)
6. Helps aid autoimmune disorders such as Celiac Disease, Crohn’s and Multiple Sclerosis

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So about ditching those weekly facials...let's get down to the good stuff! There are so many things in bone broth that help your skin, nails and hair be the best that they can be, but here are my top two:

1. Collagen - You've heard about collagen injections, creams, and supplements to plump and smooth your skin. But what exactly is collagen and can we obtain it in a more natural form? Collagen is a protein that actually makes up 1/3 of all the protein in the human body. It basically holds us together and is found in our bones, muscles, skin and tendons. It gives our skin its strength and elasticity but production of it starts to decline around age 40. All those collagen based products that claim to fix our wrinkles aren't really that effective because collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed through our skin. Enter bone broth. Since collagen is abundant in bones, a great natural source of collagen can be found in animal bones - ideally pastured and raised on a species appropriate diet. When those bones are cooked and broken down, the collagen is released into the broth and becomes more easily digestible (in the form of gelatin). As part of Pete's Paleo 30 Day Gut Healing Kit, we actually include 60 gelatin gummy snacks to help boost gut healing and promote healthy skin, nails and hair.
2. Magnesium - Are you aware of the health benefits of magnesium? Or more importantly the health risks if you have too little magnesium? Magnesium is incredibly important to our health and an estimated almost 50% of Americans are magnesium deficient. Low magnesium intake has been associated with Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Osteoporosis, Migraines, Asthma and many other health conditions. So yea, it's pretty important. But I digress. Bone Broth is an excellent source of magnesium (along with dark, leafy greens) and can help prevent fine lines, acne break outs and create strong hair follicles. Pete's Paleo sells bone broth separately and as part of our 30 Day Gut Healing Kit.

I know I keep mentioning our gut healing kit. The bottomline is that a healthy gut does indeed influence the quality of your skin and hair. In fact, most imperfections with your skin can be traced back to the state of your gut. True story. You can learn a ton more about the link between nutrition and skin quality (along with great natural beauty advice) in Liz Wolfe's Skintervention Guide.