The short answer is yes, but for some interesting reasons.

When most of us think of malnutrition we are reminded of impoverished nations where individuals live in a perpetual state of hunger because they do not have access to enough food. However, in developed countries, malnutrition is something quite different. It’s a condition sparked by being overfed and undernourished.

This modern day dilemma is caused by the chronic consumption of processed foods, often referred to as “naked calories.” According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “Obesity is deceptive. Although obese people may appear well fed, they are often deficient in essential nutrients, leading to poor health and disease. 

The underweight and overweight share high levels of sickness and disability, shortened life spans, and reduced productivity.” In his book, In Defense of Food, author Michael Pollan states, “A diet based on quantity rather than quality has ushered a new creature onto the world stage; the human being who manages to be both overfed and undernourished, two characteristics seldom found in the same body in the long natural history of our species.” Simply put, when highly processed foods are ingested on a regular basis, the body becomes micronutrient deficient. That deficiency can spark a series of some very serious health problems.

When it comes to disease, many start in the gut. Scientists refer to that part of your anatomy as your microbiome. And, like any other ecosystem on Earth, our microbiome is home to trillions of microbes which can be beneficial or detrimental to our health and wellbeing. If your microbiome is in balance, your gut is host to a wide diversity of beneficial microbes and a few bad ones. If it’s out of balance, the detrimental microbes can multiply rapidly churning out toxic chemicals which can trigger small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Should the imbalance be left unchecked, the damage to the wall of your intestine can be considerable. Referred to as intestinal permeability, or a “leaky gut syndrome” the perforations in the intestinal wall allow bacteria, toxins and waste to escape into the bloodstream. Your immune system then jumps to attention to identify the aliens releasing a flood of inflammatory chemicals to protect the internal workings of the body. When your immune system keeps encountering these escaped toxins day after day, it eventually gets stuck in the “on” position, even when there’s no war to fight. That’s chronic inflammation. It underlies every disease of aging, from obesity and diabetes to heart disease and cancer.

So, how do infused consommés help when weight loss is your goal? In a couple of ways. When prepared correctly, the bone broth from which we make our infused consommés contain gelatin, one of the most potent gut healers on the planet. Gelatin is loaded with glycine, a powerful anti-inflammatory amino acid. Plus, infused consommés are rich in other nutrients like magnesium, proline, and arginine. These nutrients help heal the gut and keep the intestinal wall strong.