Bone Broth: A Traditional Remedy for Modern Gut Issues

Bone broth has had quite the makeover. A generation or two ago it was simply stock, simmering away on the back of the stove. Now it comes in pouches with a hefty price tag and a promise to "heal your gut".

In my online nutrition practice, I work with women across Australia who are living with IBS, SIBO and long-running gut issues, and I'm often asked whether bone broth is worth the effort. Many have been sipping it faithfully for months and are wondering why they still feel bloated.

So here is my honest take. Bone broth is a lovely, nourishing food and I'm happy for most of my clients to include it. But the research behind the big claims is much thinner than the marketing suggests, and for some people it makes symptoms worse. Let's look at what we know, what we don't, and how to make a good one at home.

What is bone broth?

Bone broth is made by simmering bones and connective tissue (beef, chicken or fish) in water for many hours, usually with vegetables and herbs. The long, slow cook is what sets it apart from ordinary stock.

As it simmers, the collagen in the joints and connective tissue breaks down into gelatin. Gelatin is simply cooked collagen, and it is the reason a good broth sets like jelly in the fridge. It supplies amino acids (the building blocks of protein) such as glycine, proline and glutamine, along with small amounts of minerals.

What the research says, and what it doesn't

This is where I have to be a bit of a party pooper. I went looking for good human studies on bone broth and gut health, and I couldn't find any. What we have instead is research on the individual nutrients, mostly at doses far higher than a mug of broth provides.

The amino acids are real, but the amounts vary a lot

Australian researchers measured the amino acids in bone broths made to a standard recipe and in store-bought versions. The home-made broth contained much less glycine and proline than the collagen supplements used in research, and the commercial broths varied widely from one to the next (Alcock et al., 2019). So a study on collagen powder doesn't tell us what a cup of broth will do.

It isn't a meaningful source of minerals

You will often read that bone broth is rich in calcium and magnesium. When researchers tested it, a serve provided less than 5% of daily needs for either mineral (Hsu et al., 2017). The reassuring news from the same study is that lead and cadmium levels were very low, so the heavy metal scare stories don't stack up either.

Your gut lining: promising in the lab, unproven in people

Much of the excitement is about intestinal permeability, often called "leaky gut". This is when the lining of the small intestine becomes more porous than it should be. Glutamine is a major fuel for the cells of that lining, and in laboratory and animal studies it helps maintain the barrier. A review of the evidence found, however, that clinical trials so far don't support glutamine supplements for people with intestinal conditions (Kim & Kim, 2017).

Collagen has one small human study behind it. Women who took 20 g of collagen peptides a day for eight weeks reported less bloating and fewer digestive symptoms. But there was no comparison group, and only 14 of the 40 women finished the study (Abrahams et al., 2022). That is interesting, and nowhere near proof.

My summary: bone broth contains nutrients your gut lining uses, but nobody has shown that drinking it repairs the gut. If you would like to understand what does affect the gut lining, I've written about that in my article on leaky gut causes and symptoms.

So why do I still like it?

This part is my clinical opinion rather than something a trial has proven.

• It is gentle. A warm, savoury mug is easy to manage on the days when your gut is unsettled and nothing else appeals.
• It makes real food easier. A batch in the freezer turns leftover vegetables and a little protein into soup in ten minutes.
• It replaces the packet version. Home-made broth lets you skip the stock cubes and liquid stocks with added flavourings, sugars and fillers.
• It adds a little extra protein and fluid to your day without much effort.

What it won't do is fix the reason your gut is unhappy in the first place. If you have been drinking bone broth for months and you're still bloated, you haven't done anything wrong. It usually means something else is going on, such as SIBO, a food your body isn't tolerating, low stomach acid or an imbalance in your gut bacteria, and that needs a plan built around your body rather than a generic one. That is the work I do with clients in my Gut Fix program.

When bone broth isn't a good fit

Your body is unique, and a food that soothes one person can stir up symptoms in another. I would be cautious with bone broth in two situations.

Histamine intolerance

Long-cooked broths are high in histamine. If you notice flushing, headaches, itching, a racing heart or a runny nose after foods like aged cheese, wine or leftovers, a 24-hour broth may well set you off too. You can read more in my article on histamine intolerance. This is a well-recognised pattern in practice, although the published research on histamine in broth is limited.

IBS and FODMAP sensitivity

Most broth recipes include onion and garlic. Both are high in fructans, a type of FODMAP (fermentable carbohydrates that can trigger bloating and pain in sensitive people), and fructans leach into the liquid as it cooks. If you react to onion and garlic, use the Low FODMAP variation below.

And please see your GP about any gut symptoms that are new, persistent or changing. Broth is food, not a substitute for getting things checked.

How to use bone broth

• Sip a warm mug between meals, with a pinch of sea salt or turmeric.
• Use it as the base for soups, stews and casseroles.
• Cook rice or quinoa in it instead of water.
• Start with half a cup and see how your body responds before making it a daily habit.

Slow-Cooked Beef Bone Broth

A simple slow cooker broth that freezes well. Serves 8.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg beef bones (knuckle, marrow or mixed)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 litres cold filtered water
• 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 celery stalks, including leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• Sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Roast the bones at 200°C for 30 minutes. This step is all about flavour.
2. Place the bones in your slow cooker, add the apple cider vinegar and cold water, and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
3. Add the vegetables, garlic, ginger, bay leaves and peppercorns.
4. Cook on LOW for 24 hours.
5. Skim off any foam, then strain through a fine sieve.
6. Cool, then store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Lisa's tips

• Ask your local butcher for organic or grass-fed knuckle, marrow or neck bones.
• A good broth gels like jelly once it is cold. That is the gelatin, and it melts again when you warm it.
• Freeze it in one-cup portions so you only thaw what you need.

Not suitable for histamine intolerance. Long-cooked broths are high in histamine.

Low FODMAP variation

Leave out the onion and garlic. Add the green tops of spring onions for the last hour of cooking, and stir a little garlic-infused olive oil into your mug after straining. Celery contains some FODMAPs too, so leave it out if you are in the strict elimination phase. Apple cider vinegar is generally well tolerated.

Want to know what is wearing down your gut lining?

Bone broth is only one small piece of the picture. My free guide walks you through the seven things that damage the gut barrier, and what you can do about them. Pop your details in below and I'll email it to you.