Glycine, an amino acid, is absolutely essential to life and health; and lucky for you, it's readily available in bone broth.

​What's it good for? Keep reading. 

Cytoprotection, detoxification and immune response are unique processes, yet they are deeply intertwined. Let’s begin with glycine’s role in methylation, an essential process that controls the synthesis of cells and regulates gene expression. As a result, it is critical for the maintenance and repair of existing tissue, building new tissue, and cellular communication. For these processes to work properly we need a balance between B vitamins (fruits, veggies, nuts seafood, liver), methionine, and glycine. Methionine comes primarily from muscle meats (steak, chicken breast, etc.), and too much of it without B vitamins and glycine will result in a large buildup of homocysteine which is toxic and has been proven to lead to cardiovascular disease (1). If you are able to get your B vitamins and methionine but are lacking glycine, then you will over-methylate and severely deplete your glycine stores, resulting in massive breakdown of cellular communication. But when you get your necessary supply of B vitamins, methionine, and glycine you are able to methylate properly so cells can communicate and create glutathione which is considered the MASTER antioxidant of the body. This is essential as glutathione is vital to protect against cell damage, meaning you feel better!
 
In addition to proper methylation, glycine has been shown to be a strong anti-inflammatory (2). Glycine helps to regulate immune function and the production of superoxide, and synthesis of cytokines by altering the intracellular Ca2+ levels, which have been proven to protect against chronic inflammation. Glycine also works to decrease inflammation by hyperpolarizing immune cells via “glycine-gated chloride channels,” preventing an exaggerated, harmful immune response to endotoxin and other stimuli. Research studies on animals have proven that glycine can protect against harmful endotoxins created from over consumption of both sugar and alcohol; they first induced fatty liver and metabolic syndrome, and subsequently reversed the conditions via glycine administration (4). There are over 200 studies concerning the protective, restorative and anti-inflammatory nature of glycine, however this is beyond the scope of the quick start. It is safe to say that glycine is a simple-yet-powerful tool to help reduce inflammation, improve detoxification, and boost the immune system.

​As discussed above glycine helps to decrease inflammation, which is essential to gut health. In fact, many of the gut health protocols are based on the elimination of sugars, alcohol, allergenic foods, rancid or unstable fats, and processed food. Given glycine’s anti-inflammatory potential, it already plays a key role in healing the gut - but there’s more to it. American researcher Francis Pottenger studied the importance of gelatin found in broth is a hydrophilic colloid, which attracts and holds liquids, thus facilitating digestion by attracting digestive juices to food in the gut. Glycine is the main component of gelatin, along with proline. Similarly, Carl Voit found that gelatin improved digestion because of its ability to improve hydrochloric acid balance, due to its ability to improve the flow of gastric juices, thus promoting digestion (5). Studies on gelatin have also found that it can heal the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by enhancing the mucous membrane of the intestines and is thus used extensively in healing leaky gut. 

A good indicator of the importance of glycine in tissue repair, maintenance and building can be seen with studies on pregnant women and children. These two groups need significant amounts of glycine in the diet. Research shows that glycine deficiency could limit growth in infants, and stated that the “demands of the growing fetus for glycine are very high, in both absolute terms and relative to other amino acids, two to ten times as great on a molar basis.” Thus, by increasing the intake of this glycine could improve, the outcome of preterm infants (6). In fact, studies have shown that glycine status is an important marker of normal pregnancy (7). In addition, glycine has been shown to be a limiting amino acid in children recovering from malnutrition, and it is the limiting amino acid for rapid growth (8).

Well we have been very busy making broth and all other aspects of 'brothing.' We are trying to create the best experience possible for all of our customers and we are enjoying receiving feedback, so if any of you would like to chime in with comments, good and bad (especially bad, as we would like to fix these) either here or on Facebook please do so. Here are a couple of items we want you to look for as we close the year and enter 2018! 

We also will be working our hardest to update and provide useful, engaging content for all of our followers. We will be sharing info that hopefully will inspire you, challenge you, and help to give you tools to take control of your health. If you have any suggestion or would like to answers to certain questions, please leave comments here or on Facebook.

.  Proline and glycine are the abundant amino acids in broth, and they are generally overlooked and underloved. They are considered non-essential because our bodies make them, but the truth is that when tested our bodies are dramatically deficient, sometimes to the tune of 8-10g of glycine in a day or 20-30% of proline (1,2)! It is clear we can produce it, but just not enough. This can be due to our modern lifestyles of work, artificial light, frankenfoods, alcohol, lack of sleep, small frequent, daily stressors etc... Or because we place dietary restrictions, whether it is on purpose or we just don't have access to a wide variety of foods. We often cut items out of our diet in the hopes of being healthy, but we also leave out plenty of nutrients.

REPAIR
We have written about Glycine and all of the amazing things that this amino acid does in the body, but it is time to discuss Proline now. Proline is key during the healing stages of cells and is vital during the muscle recovery process. Research has shown that the site of an injured tissue can contain up to 50% more proline than a normal site, indicating the importance of proline in tissue repair. Studies on rats found that the administering of proline to injured rats produced a significantly faster healing time and stronger tissue than the control rats (3). Not only is proline used in repair processes, but it also serves as a precursor to hydroxyproline, which is needed to make collagen. Again studies have shown that the proline ingested in gelatin, can actually be directly infused into the collagen of the animal (determined by radio-labels), so not only does it serve as a precursor, but it also becomes directly infused into the collagen. This of course provides important joint protection as time goes on. 

RECOVERY
Endurance athletes and people who engage in regular vigorous exercise will often be tested with depleted levels of proline. So supplementation with L-proline, geltain or of course regular broth consumption is vital to maintain muscle mass and healthy connective tissue! If you spend many hours a week exercising, make sure you are eating enough and balancing your meat consumption with either broth, organs or skin. If you have nagging skin injuries taking a long time to heal, consider upping your glycine and proline levels. Also in order for proline supplementation to help you, you need adequate vitamin c levels. So if you up your proline intake, make sure you are getting plenty of Vitamin C, as it is essential to the enzymes that utilize proline. 

HEART DISEASE 
One of the founders of quantum chemistry and molecular biology, Linus Pauling, created a Unified Theory and Therapy for Heart Disease, in which proline is vital to the recovery and resistance to heart disease. But we will discuss this in the next post on Proline! See you next time. 

References
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1. Irwin, MI, Hegsted DM. A conspectus of research on amino requirements of man. Journal of Nutrition, 1971, 101, 387-429.
2. Jaksic, et al. Plasma proline kinetics and concentrations in young men in response to dietary proline deprivation, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990, 52, 307-312.
3. Ponrasu, T. Amino Acids. 2013 Jul;45(1):179-89. doi: 10.1007/s00726-013-1486-0. Epub 2013 Mar 19.
   

Check out our facebook page to follow along with many ways to use and enjoy bone broth. Its great for sipping, but has so many versatile uses from protein drinks to ice pops to face scrubs to cookies to stews (duh). Join us in our challenge to #drinkbrotheveryday

Finally we are offering on demand shipping to the local Chicago area. Order it tonight and get it within two business days  (starting September 10th)! However, we are continuing to focus on keeping our product close to home, so that we can establish great relationships with farmers and customers in the heartland of the midwest. We are also focusing on our best sellers at the moment, the broths that are both auto-immune compliant and hypo-allergenic: Hypo-Broth and Chicken Power. We are excited to bring you broth at any time and we hope you will enjoy our product coming this September, pre-order now for when the store opens live on the 10th. 

There is no better time to focus on nutrition than when you are helping a baby develop, giving them everything they need and sometimes at a cost to you! This is the time to consume bountiful nutrients so that you can give the best to yourself and your baby. There are many types of diets that people will advocate, but there is no question about one thing. We must eat real food and plenty of veggies. Sure we need protein and fat and sure there are many sources but again there is some play here. However getting real food is non-negotiable when pregnant.

​The Weston Price Foundation has an excellent article regarding pregnancy nutrition and the nutrients that are so essential to women. I highly encourage you all to read this article and absorb the information. Here is a quick overview:

• Good maternal nutrition during pregnancy can protect the offspring from diabetes, stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, and memory loss later in life.
  
• Special preconception and pregnancy diets emphasizing foods dense in particular nutrients were universal among the traditional groups that Weston Price studied.
  
• Modern science has shown that fat-soluble vitamins are necessary for growth and development; the omega-3 fatty acid DHA is necessary for brain development; the need for biotin during pregnancy increases; folate boosts growth and decreases the risk of birth defects; choline causes a lifelong increase in memory and attention; and the amino acid glycine is required for growth.
  
• WAPF recommends a dose of high-vitamin cod liver oil per day to yield 20,000 IU of vitamin A, 2,000 IU of vitamin D, and 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (about 1 3/4 teaspoon per day).
  
• Grass-fed animal fats supply vitamins E and K2; palm oil, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and freshly ground grains are also sources of vitamin E; fermented foods are also sources of vitamin K2. Leafy greens supply vitamin K1.
  
• Biotin can be obtained from liver and egg yolks. Raw egg whites should be strictly avoided and cooked egg whites should be consumed in moderation. Egg yolks can be added to smoothies and ice cream to boost biotin status.
  
• Folate can be obtained from liver, legumes, beets, and greens. Choline can be obtained from grass-fed dairy, egg yolks, liver, meat, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Figure 7 provides examples of how to meet the folate and choline requirements.
  
• Muscle meats and eggs should be liberally matched with the above folate-rich foods and with skin, bones, and bone broths to obtain glycine.

                                                READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE.

You don't hear it often, but yes beef broth and bloody mary's go together very well to make for a perfect blend of freshness, savory and booze. Yes, the BLOODY BULL is a version of the classic brunch cocktail, whose followers swear by its taste so much that it can be drank any time of the day (which I guess makes it the perfect cocktail). 
​
Bloody Bull (makes two drinks)
6 oz tomato juice
4 oz beef broth
3 oz vodka
2 tsp lime juice (about a lime)
​1 tsp lemon
1-2 tsp of hot sauce of your choice 
1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce
.5 tsp celery salt
dash of cayenne pepper 
dash of black pepper

Combine all ingredients up in a pitcher and stir well. Then pour over glasses full of ice and stir again to get them nice and chilled. Garnish with whatever you like: celery, lime, okra, jalepeno, get creative.

I think it is safe to say that we all consider white bread and wheat bread to be of poor nutritional value, hence the need for bread companies to add nutrients to make their product "fortified." Which is funny dince most of those added nutrient are not even accessible to the body because they are either: fake (manufactured) or the anti-nutrients in the grains do not allow it to be used. 

Regardless McCollum and Downey found that the simple addition of GELATIN to a diet of white wheat bread improved nutrition so much to impact growth rates. 

The winter is a time for stews and such, so lets take a new look at little different version of your standard beef stew. This dish is a favorite among Koreans as a of the staple dish and is often a primal dish in other cultures as well. It is served with rice in which the rice may be directly added to the soup, added after or left out. The meal goes great with kimchi. 

In a heavy pot saute the following for a few minutes, don't burn, then add...

• dollop of fat (coconut oil, lard, butter)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger
• 2-4 stalks chopped green onion

Now add and brown the beef...

• 1/2 lb of beef brisket, sliced real thin

Now add..

• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1.5 quarts beef broth or sub-zero (for extra kick)

Let the combo simmer for 1-2 hours, because the beef is sliced thin you don't need a lot of time, but if your pieces are thicker you may want more time. That is it you are done. 
Some Additional Options

• If you want to add rice, either add uncooked rice BEFORE THE 1 hour simmer, or add cooked rice 10 minutes before serving. 
• Add any greens or veggies you want 10 minutes before serving, the darker the better with the savory beef.