Henry David Thoreau urged people to suck out all the marrow of life, but you may also suck the marrow out of bones. The gelatinous marrow is considered a delicacy, often served with a side of toasted bread or crackers. While marrow is fairly high in calories, it does impart a range of health benefits.
No Saturated Fat
Bone marrow is quite fatty -- a 1-oz. portion of beef bone marrow contains 27.1 g of fat -- but none of it is saturated in nature. While the fat in bone marrow still contributes to the 44 to 78 g of fat you should limit yourself to daily, since it does not contain saturated fat, it should not significantly contribute to your risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes.
Provides Protein
You cannot rely on bone marrow as a primary source of protein, but it does contribute to the 50 to 175 g of protein your body requires each day. Caribou bone marrow contains 2 g of protein per oz., but beef bone marrow has only 0.1 g. The small amounts of protein in these varieties of bone marrow help provide energy for your body, and it also improves your immune system. Because the protein in this food derives from an animal source, it is considered a complete protein -- it has all the amino acids you need for best health.
Iron
Consume an ounce of caribou bone marrow, and you take in 7 percent of the daily recommended intake of iron. The iron in this food has a direct bearing on the amount of oxygen that travels to your limbs and cells, and if you do not have enough, you may experience tiredness, an irregular heartbeat and dizziness. Bone marrow with higher iron content may be a good choice for your diet after donating blood or during the menstrual cycle because your body needs more iron at these times.
Calcium
Beef bone marrow is an option to get more calcium in your diet. Each serving of this marrow provides 3 percent of the calcium you require each day. Calcium is commonly understood to strengthen bones and decrease your risk of developing brittle, easily-broken bones as you get older, but it may also play a role in preventing strokes. A study published in the March 2011 issue of the journal "Preventing Chronic Disease" correlates high calcium intake with a reduced risk of some forms of stroke in Chinese adults. More research is needed to confirm these findings across other ethnic groups. The calcium in bone marrow will not fulfill your requirements, but it will help boost your intake slightly.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Caribou, Bone Marrow, Raw (Alaska Native)
- FitClick: Beef Bone Marrow
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
- MedlinePlus; Protein in Diet; July 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Iron; June 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Calcium; March 2009
