Chicken soup is usually thought of as a cure for the common cold, but it’s healing abilities go much deeper than just your lungs. Early on I got caught up in the boneless chicken breast idea as a healthy one, but since acupuncture school and the nutrition class included, I have been telling patients that idea is horrible.
I cook and eat whole chickens, bone in chicken parts and make chicken soup regularly. The nourishment you get from cooking the meat with the bone is invaluable. You get many nutrients and minerals from the bone marrow, the collagen you get from the cartilage is also nourishing, and the natural silicon, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate in the chicken can’t be duplicated in a lab or factory. You can’t duplicate nature. And you have to admit, the meat close to the bone sure tastes good.
I do not discard the necks when I cook a chicken. My theory is eating the neck can nourish your own spine. All the connective tissue around the bones contains the same mineral components as our spine. It is said that eating this way could be extremely beneficial for those with osteoarthritis.
It would also be important for those with osteoarthritis and those with arthritis in their genetics to stop eating processed and fried foods, because they encourage inflammation that causes arthritis. Eating organically grown fresh fruits, vegetables, and naturally raised animals, what I call a Neanderthal diet, will keep you healthy for a lifetime.