With the overabundance of stock options available on the market these days, it can be hard to cypher through the multitude of brands and find one with genuine health benefits. You’ve got your cubes, different flavours and ready to use liquid stocks are now widely available in shops. Most of these named brands, like OXO and Maggi, hold a surprising amount of sodium and, sometimes, high levels of glucose. These aren’t the only added extras either. This is where a natural stock from somewhere such as Foundation Foods comes in. Natural stock skips over the additives to give you a healthy, preservative-free recipe base. There are obviously droves of health benefits from using natural stock in food.
Low In Sodium
There is a surprising amount of added sodium in most stock brands. Sodium is an essential mineral for our health but, as we all know, too much salt from sodium can also be extremely detrimental. This includes raising blood pressure by causing water retention, which means extra pressure is put on your heart, kidneys and arteries.
Luckily, natural stock is lower in salt and therefore your health can reap the benefits. Low sodium count can decrease your risk of heart problems, protect your vision and build stronger bones amongst many others.
High In Nutrients
Bones, meat and vegetables are naturally rich in the vitamins and nutrients required to keep our bodies running on top form. Some of the nutrients prevalent in natural stock are calcium, phosphorus and protein. Using bones in natural stock also means that you’re also boosting collagen production in your body. When you cook collagen, you’re basically providing your body with amino acids, which are the tools required to build proteins. Going for natural stock means you’re giving yourself all of these nutrients, and more, in a form that is much easier to digest.
Helps With Inflammation
The amino acid, glycine, has the additional benefit of reducing inflammation in the body. It does this by helping reduce the level of free radicals in the body. You’ll find a high glycine count in most meats, which are usually the building blocks for brewing natural stock. Natural stock can be high in GAGs (glycosaminoglycans) which is a commonly prescribed supplement to aid pain in the joints and chronic joint diseases.
Promote Gut Health
Healthier bodies equal to healthier guts. No one is a fan of bloating and bad gut health, and your gut lining is one of the first defences against unwanted intruders into your system. Health professionals agree that people with gut and bowel problems usually have lower levels of amino acids in their bodies and adding more may alleviate some of the symptoms. As mentioned above, natural stocks can be stacked with amino acids and adding it to your diet may be an easy way to reduce the inflammation associated with poor gut health.
Natural stock is also naturally high in gelatin, which assists with restoring gut health and improving digestion. Additionally, high intakes of salt and sodium can usually irritate the bowel and cause bloating. So, ditching artificial stock for natural stock is a sure way to lower your sodium intake.
Aids Sleep Quality
Amino acids in natural stock may also support the quality of sleep in some people. Specifically, it helps in the production of glycine, an amino acid that some people take as a supplement to sleep. People often find that glycine helps them sleep, meaning they feel more alert the following day. Adding natural stock to your diet may be an organic way to improve glycine production and get yourself a good night’s sleep.
As an added bonus, glycine helps increase the production of serotonin, the happy hormone, and it can help improve memory. Wins for the mind all round!
