6 Bone Marrow Facts You Should Know About

Bone marrow typically only enters the public consciousness when there’s a news story about bone marrow disease or bone marrow transplants. But bone marrow can be a vital part of protecting you or your loved one’s health. Bone marrow is a tremendously nutritious food derived from animal bones that can significantly enhance the body’s ability to heal itself.

Bone marrow is a reliable source of healthy fats, amino acids, vitamin B12, and collagen, all of which make it great for strengthening the immune system, reducing inflammation, and making the skin healthier. The body’s bone marrow is important, too; it creates 200 billion new red blood cells every day. A lot of people overlook the nutritional benefits of animal bone marrow, thinking of it mainly as a treat for the family dog. Humans can get a lot from eating bone marrow, though!

Read on to learn about all the fantastic advantages of eating bone marrow and find out the best ways to incorporate it into your diet. First, we will talk about the types of human bone marrow and also edible bone marrow. Next, we will discuss how bone marrow is a great source of collagen and amino acids and how edible bone marrow is keto-friendly. Finally, we will discuss the nutritional value of edible bone marrow and wrap up with boosting immunity and decreasing inflammation.

Medical science divides the human bone marrow found in your body into two types. The red bone marrow is the active marrow that’s packed with blood stem cells. These are responsible for creating red and white blood cells as well as platelets. Yellow bone marrow is the other type of human bone marrow that mainly stores fat.

A bone marrow transplant is a complicated surgical procedure that can have life-saving effects. Certain diseases and injuries can force the body’s marrow to stop functioning, making a replacement necessary. Bone marrow can be damaged or destroyed by some hereditary diseases as well as by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Bone marrow transplants are also sometimes used to treat certain forms of cancer (e.g., leukemia). Performing a bone marrow transplant can boost the immune system.

Bone marrow that’s suitable for human consumption gets distinguished from other types by calling it “edible.” It can be eaten and combined with other foods. While bone marrow probably wasn’t a part of your childhood diet, it’s well worth investigating today, particularly if you’re on a keto diet. It delivers plenty of healthy fat, and it’s low in carbohydrates.

Many different animals contribute to the market for good bone marrow. It’s relatively easy to find bone marrow from cows, sheep, and even moose that’s for sale. Your local butcher is your best source. Most independent butchers offer fresh bone marrow from healthy animals.

The latest research suggests that bone marrow also delivers essential amino acids and collagen. In one study, up to one-third of animal protein found to consist of collagen includes useful amino acids in its makeup, e.g., proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline (Hyp). The amino acids in collagen produce several health benefits, like healthier skin and better retention of lean muscle mass.

One study completed in 2018 cast doubt on the collagen content of bone broth, an edible product similar to bone marrow. There are still clear benefits provided by the structural proteins in edible bone marrow. Note that in the nutritional information listed, 100 grams of bone marrow deliver seven grams of protein. It makes edible bone marrow a smart choice if you need to increase the amount of protein in your diet.

Thanks to its low-carb content and ample store of good fats, bone marrow is a particularly attractive dietary option if you’re on a keto diet. Meat is heavily featured in ketogenic and other low-carb diets because it has a similar ratio of fat to carbs. One study even showed that edible bone marrow (in this case, from a reindeer) offers more nutrition than the same animal’s meat. Bone marrow delivers more vitamins than meat, particularly B vitamins and vitamin E.

Vitamin E in reindeer bone marrow is four times as concentrated as that in reindeer meat. Bone marrow can also deliver essential dietary minerals, like calcium and selenium. Even though reindeer meat and bone marrow aren’t particularly common foodstuff in most countries, the data derived from studying the animal shows that edible bone marrow has some nutritional advantages over ordinary meat.

The precise nutritional value of edible bone marrow does vary slightly, depending on its source. For instance, this is what you get from 100 grams of caribou (reindeer) bone marrow: 786 calories, 6.7 grams of protein, 84.4 grams of fat, and 0 grams of carbs. As you can see from these numbers, bone marrow is a rich source of healthy fat.

The minimal carbohydrate content makes bone marrow ideal for many currently popular low-carb diets, including the ketogenic diet. Other useful nutrients delivered in significant quantities by bone marrow include collagen, amino acids, and B vitamins. Bone marrow also contains conjugated linoleic acid.

Because bone marrow produces the white blood cells that are on the front lines of your immune system, edible bone marrow contains some potent immune boosters. One of the best of these is conjugated linoleic acid or CLA, a type of fat linked to reduced inflammation and better immune function; edible bone marrow from cows, sheep, goats, and moose contains CLA. A research study has demonstrated that men eating 5.6 g of CLA every day showed reduced levels of proteins involved in inflammation.

An anti-inflammatory diet with minimal sugar is excellent for strengthening your immune system and reducing inflammation. Increasing your dietary consumption of CLA is a great way to achieve those results. Fresh edible bone marrow is an excellent source of CLA.

Bone marrow isn’t a part of the traditional American diet, but thanks to its health effects, its popularity is rapidly growing. Bear in mind that the exact results of eating bone marrow can vary, but the nutrients you get from it are definite health boosters. Edible animal bone marrow is an ideal food for a ketogenic diet, thanks to its low-carbohydrate content and ample supply of healthy fat.

Edible bone marrow can also provide protein, amino acids, and collagen, all of which help build lean muscle mass and make your skin healthier. To add edible bone marrow to your diet, stop by your local butcher and ask for bone marrow from grass-fed animals if possible. Bone marrow can be used like butter, roasted, or converted into bone broth.

First, we talked about the types of human bone marrow and also edible bone marrow. Next, we discussed how bone marrow is an excellent source of collagen and amino acids and how edible bone marrow is keto-friendly. Finally, we discussed the nutritional value of edible bone marrow and wrapped things up with boosting immunity and decreasing inflammation. Now, you know about all the fantastic advantages of eating bone marrow and found out the best ways to incorporate it into your diet.