Chicken v.s Beef

[Triciabn]

Feel free to link me to a previous thread on this topic.. I couldn't find it.

I have free range grass chickens...and pasture grass fed beef

I love making stock. I am pretty darn good at it.
1.) Which is better for overall health?
2.) Which is better if you are sick?
3.) Why?
4.) Links if any?

I would love any or all of the answers to any of my questions. I have been making froth for years and with BEING SICK in the news all-the-time.. I was reevaluated my approach to preventative care.
Thank you so very much I really appreciate it.
Tricia

[CrunchyChristianMama]

I think chicken stock is definitely more traditional as far as when you are sick. Do I have any links about this...absolutely not!

[gardenmommy]

I think both are very traditional, just depended on what was available at the time. I think both are very healthy, too. However, I have no links to back that up, just my opinion, I'm afraid. I make both, just depends on what bones I have available to me when I want to make stock.

[Magelet]

For being sick, I'd say chicken stock, but for everything in general, it depends on what your in the mood for, they both have some similar benefits and some different ones. (re the chicken for when your sick, it actually has more to do with the fat: chicken fat, according to the book "Fat", has some specific illness fighting properties, I don't remember what.)

I'd say either one is great, depends on what sounds yummy at any given time, but add chicken fat to your diet when your sick.

[Triciabn]

Wow that is interesting about chicken fat. I will have to google it to find out why or what is in chicken fat that is healing.

My thoughts were that bigger bones... i.e beef... would have more trace vits and mins... and more connective tissues that would give you the chondroiton and gloucosime.... so *to me* it would seem that beef would be better to get the job done.

I have a ginormous box of beef bones in the freezer so heres hopeing.

Tricia

[Junegoddess]

Any chance you're my Amish-lovin' friend Tricia from Pennsylvania?

Either way... traditional Chinese medicine views chicken broth as very healing and invigorating. It's a key part of their "prescription" for recovery from childbirth, but they caution mothers to not have chicken soup more than once a week or they risk having a very alert and energetic baby. So, I think that's a solid vote on the chicken side. It's also viewed as a "light" food, where beef broth might not be (just haven't see much mention of beef broth in relation to TCM.) When sick, light foods are recommended.

But for prevention, hearty food in cold weather is good... so that's a vote for beef.

Whatever. Just make sure everyone gets some sort of broth every day.