(And no, this is not because Gwyneth drinks it :))

First Off, What is Bone Broth?

Bone broth is the nutrient-rich liquid that is left over after meat bones and connective tissue are simmered down in water over a long period of time. You can make it at home or buy high-quality brands at your grocery store. If you buy yours, I recommend buying organic brands to get the highest quality broth, especially for the following healing purposes:

Benefits of Bone Broth

• Protects joints
• Amazing source of amino acids
• Maintains healthy skin
• Contains gut-healing properties
• Supports proper immune response
• Anti-aging properties
• Decreases inflammation

Scientific Proof of Bone Broth

That is A LOT of amazing benefits! But what’s the science behind it? I’ve gathered some research to back up these claims. While I love drinking bone broth for optimizing my gut health and simply just enjoy the taste, there are also several other amazing health benefits.

Abundant Source of Amino Acids

When bone is boiled down, the collagen is broken down into its building blocks, which are amino acids. In fact, collagen contains 19 amino acids (making it a complete protein!). They include tryptophan, glycine, glutamine, and more. These amino acids play a role in hormone production, act as neurotransmitters, and are needed for protein synthesis.

1. Contains Gut Healing Properties

Bone broth contains the protein, gelatin. Yes, that gelatin that you use to make jello! When you picture the consistency of gelatin, you can imagine how drinking bone broth can help with the smooth transit of food through your intestines. It’s vital that food move smoothly along to allow proper absorption. Not only that, but bone broth, with its amino acid content, can help reduce inflammation, that is contributed to irritable bowel disease and other gut inflammatory conditions. 

For Leaky Gut

The collagen in bone broth reduces inflammation and soothes your intestinal lining which can help heal the gut from leaky gut. This is when your gut lining becomes more permeable, allowing larger, unwanted molecules into your bloodstream. Glutamine, found inside of bone broth, can help with restoring this mucosal barrier (aka gut lining)

2. Supports Proper Immune Response

Did you know the majority of your immune system is in your gut? By reducing inflammation and fixing the lining of your gut with the provided collagen, amino acids, and gelatin in bone broth, you’re helping to reduce food sensitivities and intolerances, skin issues, and autoimmune disease. 

When your immune system is in overdrive because of a leaky and/or inflamed gut, it can cause inflammation throughout your body and contribute to the annoying and even painful symptoms you’re experiencing. If left unaddressed, it can even manifest into diseases. 

3. Anti-Aging Properties

The amount of collagen you produce is associated with the appearance of your skin. Unfortunately, individuals between the ages of 25 and 34, start to see their collagen production decline and that’s when you start noticing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Collagen from bone broth can help restore your collagen levels and help improve the look of your skin by providing protection against UV-induced damage of DNA and improving the skin microbiome. 

4. Great for Joint and Bone Health

Bone broth protein benefits are also fantastic for joint and bone health. Since bone broth is packed full of collagen, calcium, phosphorus, and amino acids, it makes sense that if you drink broth, you’ll supply your body with bone and tissue building blocks for your body! It’s important to keep your supplies of collagen up (especially as you age) because when it declines, it could increase your risk for osteoporosis and joint issues. 

5. Aids in Overcoming Estrogen Dominance

Bone broth can help address your estrogen dominance and PMS symptoms. One contributor to estrogen dominance is poor gut health.

Your estrobolome, which is located in your gut, contains the enzyme, beta-glucuronidase. This enzyme plays a role in regulating your estrogen levels. If your gut health is damaged or unbalanced, beta-glucuronidase levels could be elevated, causing problems. This enzyme turns the inactive form of estrogen back into the active form, making your overall estrogen levels increase. This is NOT what we want because this leads to estrogen dominance and its’s undesired symptoms. 

Drinking bone broth can help heal your gut and support normal levels of beta-glucuronidase and regulate proper estrogen levels.

Best Bone Broth for Gut Health

The best bone broth for gut health is going to be first and foremost, an organic brand or made from organic meats. Beef, pork, veal, lamb, and game bone broth have the highest amounts of collagen protein. I recommend switching up the brands and the type of bone broth from time to time to reap the most benefits.

Easy Bone Broth Recipe

But with a busy schedule like mine, I love heating up some organic bone broth on the stove from FOND Bone Broth – I love the added turmeric for anti-inflammatory benefits. Fond is organic, grass-fed and regenerative. I pour it in a mug and sip it in the afternoon!

If I have a leftover organic rotisserie chicken or a roasted chicken from the week, this is my go-to recipe!

I love to use bone broth to cook rice and soups instead of water or broth!

Have I persuaded you to give bone broth a try? Let me know in comments below!