What Is Bone Broth?

Bone broth was made by our ancestors from the Palaeolithic era also called the Old Stone Age (circa 3 million years ago) commonly referred to as caveman whose diet consisted of meat, fish, berries, fruit, vegetables nuts and seeds obtained from hunting gathering.  The bones of the animals they had hunted would be boiled using the stomach as a cooking vessel over the fire and used to keep their energy up until they had their next successful hunt.

It has been used in Chinese Medicine for some 2500+ years and still forms a staple in Asian cooking today.  We have learned that Hippocrates the father of modern medicine referred his patients suffering digestion issues to bone broth, and Jewish penicillin is broth made from chicken bones.  Clearly bone broth is not a recent creation and is essentially made by simmering bones of either cattle, sheep, chickens, or pigs for 24 hours which releases the gelatine and bone marrow.

Our two key staple broths at Spear and Arrow are plain with no added seasoning, and botanicals where we add black pepper, turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and chilli. We love that you are sharing your ideas with us and with that in mind we are always trailing and testing new natural flavours just for you, our customer.

Over the past 50 years the western diet has changed dramatically to the detriment of our health. The huge demand for convenience and more choice means we rely heavily on processed ‘convenience’ food resulting in high intakes of sugar, omega 6, vegetable oil, glucose and sodium which is causing a global rise in obesity, diabetes, cancer, alzheimer’s, heart disease, and chronic inflammation.

At Spear and Arrow, we promote getting back to our roots, using traditional cooking and seasonal foods to support our well-being. All our bone broth is made from antibiotic and hormone free Irish grass feed cattle bones with added homemade apple cider vinegar, sourced from local orchards in Northern Ireland to help with the mineral extraction of our broth.

The Gut Brain Link

Scientists have identified what is called the little brain or the enteric nervous system (ENS) and if you’ve ever “gone with your gut” or felt “butterflies in your tummy” you are likely to be getting signals from your ENS. This “brain in your gut” is transforming medicine’s understanding of the links between digestion, mood, health and even the way we think. Recent research is also linking the health of the gut to neurological disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, and autism whilst also identifying the impact on our central nervous system that triggers mood changes.

Our diets combined with the emotional stresses of today have established that too many of us have the wrong ratio of good and bad bacteria and unfortunately having the latter is giving many of us gastrointestinal and neurological disorders. The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach’s juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. More research is evidencing that better communication is needed between the big brain and the brain in our gut.

Lynette McHendry MBE, CEO and Founder of Spear and Arrow was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in 2015. A year later she was told she had cancer in the brain. Whilst she pursued the medical route for treatment, she also felt the need to look at natural ways to help herself heal from all the side effects. By changing her diet, going back to her roots, and having incorporated a more paleo and ancestorial diet into her way of life – today she shares her story and brand with others who need to heal their bodies and minds.