A new study in an American Chemical Society journal has shown that ham bones contain peptides that could have cardioprotective effects.
Simmering animal bones in water releases collagen and other proteins into the broth that may have health benefits, although more research is needed to validate these claims.
During cooking and digestion, proteins from animal bones can be broken down into smaller pieces, or peptides, that have different properties than the intact protein. To see if Spanish dry-cured ham bones could be a source of beneficial peptides, researchers ground up the bones and simulated conditions of cooking and human digestion.
The scientists examined whether the bone samples could block the activities of several enzymes involved in cardiovascular disease. The study found that the bone peptides, most of which were derived from collagen and hemoglobin proteins, inhibited the enzymes even after heating and simulated digestion.
These treatments released additional bioactive peptides, suggesting that the use of ham bones to make broths and stews could have a positive impact on cardiovascular health.
Source : meatingplace.com