Is Bone Broth Good for Your Gut?

As of late, bone broth has become a sort of bio-hack for those looking to improve their health in a variety of ways. And for good reason too, because there are many benefits of adding bone broth into your diet.

It's good for your joints, promotes weight loss, and may even lead to better sleep. But what about bone broth for gut health? Does drinking it support digestive health and a healthy gut?

What Is Bone Broth?

Get a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Now, add in some animal bones, connective tissue, and any other unused animal parts you don't typically eat. Throw in some vegetables (like onion and garlic), season to taste with herbs of your choice, and then…Voila! You've just made bone broth.

To put it simply, bone broth is made by boiling animal bones and connective tissues in a large pot of water. You can use the bones of pretty much any animal—from chicken or beef—to pork, lamb, fish, or even bison.

Bone broth contains many important nutrients and minerals for your health, such as amino acids, collagen, and gelatin. One of the main benefits of bone broth is that it can help with reducing inflammation, which is important for healing leaky gut, as well as helping with other stomach issues like IBS and ulcerative colitis.

How Bone Broth Improves Your Gut

Underlying gut issues don't just impact your stomach. They spill over into other areas of your health. That is, to say, your gut probably has a hand in a lot of the health issues you might face.

Bone broth contributes toward boosting the good bacteria in your gut that guard against intestinal conditions like IBS or leaky gut. Let's take a look at some noteworthy bone broth health benefits, including the different nutrients and minerals.

Collagen

Collagen is actually the most abundant protein in your body. You can think of it as the “glue” that keeps your body together. Collagen is probably most known for its beauty-boosting benefits, such as improved skin and helping with brittle nails. But as it pertains to gut health, collagen deserves recognition for its anti-inflammatory properties that help restore the lining of your intestinal wall.

Gelatin

Gelatin plays a key role in how well your connective tissue functions. Like collagen, it also repairs the lining of your gut and secures it against bad bacteria. This is key to improving certain conditions like IBS and IBD.

Glutamine

Glutamine is a specific amino acid that comes from gelatin. It gives your cells energy and also works to preserve the lining of your gut. Most notably, if you're looking at bone broth for leaky gut, then glutamine could be the solution to your troubles.

Unfamiliar with leaky gut? It's what happens when the gut lining gets damaged and the contents of your gut start to leak out into the bloodstream, causing inflammation and a variety of other health issues. Symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, and constipation can occur.

Did you know that gut problems impact your skin too? If that doesn't show you the impact your gut can have on other areas of your health, then nothing will! Your gut health literally leaks over (no pun intended) into other areas of your life.

Glycine and Arginine

Your body uses glycine and arginine to make connective tissue. These two valuable amino acids work to create protein, decrease inflammation, and act as a safeguard from ulcers popping up in your gut.

Glutathione

This influential antioxidant is made from three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid. Its functions include building and repairing tissue, making DNA, and supporting a healthy immune system.

Autoimmune diseases like celiac disease and lupus can cause chronic inflammation. Research shows glutathione works to lower oxidative stress and protect the mitochondria in certain cells, which are a target for autoimmune diseases. Further research is needed, but glutathione also shows promise for helping treat fatty liver disease.

Best Way to Make Bone Broth

Let's walk through how to make the best bone broth for gut health. Nothing too complex here. Just a few simple ingredients you might already have laying around your kitchen.

First, you'll want to gather your cooking utensils and ingredients. You'll need a boiling pot, water, apple cider vinegar, vegetables, and most importantly, all your animal bones and connective tissue.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon of water
• 3-4 pounds of animal bones
• 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• Chopped carrots
• Scrap veggies like celery or thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

• Chop up your vegetables.
• Bring water to a boil, then place in all your ingredients. Remember to season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slowly taper off to a simmer and cook for the next 12-36 hours. The longer you let it cook, the more your broth will be infused with flavor and the more nutrients you'll absorb into the broth.
• Let the broth cool. Use a strainer to separate out just the liquid, and throw away all the solid food.
• Now, it's time to enjoy your bone broth!

Bone Broth for Gut Health Wrap Up

Bone broth for gut health has gained popularity recently due to its many benefits. The collagen, gelatin, and amino acids found in bone broth work to fuel the good bacteria in your gut, reduce inflammation, and repair your gut's intestinal lining. This helps with stomach conditions like leaky gut and IBD.

Do you have a stomach problem you just can't seem to solve? Curious about your gut and how it could be impacting your overall health? The first step to better health is getting your gut tested.

At Sun Genomics, we use whole genome sequencing that detects over 23,000 microbes in your gut down all the way to the strain level. You can then use the report from your test to see which foods and supplements are best for your gut.

About the Author

Chad Richardson is a freelance writer from Cincinnati, OH who also enjoys going to the gym and doing his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation, scrolling through Netflix trying to find a new binge-worthy show, and catching a game to root on his hometown sports teams.