Bone broth benefits are numerous… which is why I drank it for 2 weeks straight. That’s right, I drank ONLY bone broth for 2 weeks. Sound crazy? It actually turned out to be one of the greatest things I’ve done.
Dr. Will Cole, a leading functional medicine practitioner, IFMCP, DC, and author of Ketotarian, suggested that I try drinking strictly bone broth for a while to help with inflammation. At first, it was SO hard for me to do. It was weird not eating any hard foods and I got a little hungry, haha! However, after it was done, I felt so good, so I kept it going (while adding back in my normal food and eating schedule). I filled up my favorite Contigo coffee mug with bone broth instead of matcha, and no one knew the difference.
RELATED: Let’s Talk Gut Health & Functional Medicine with Dr. Will Cole
To give more information about bone broth benefits and bone broth in general, I asked Dr. Cole to give his expertise on the topic. Here’s what he had to say…
What is bone broth? Why has it gotten so popular lately?
Bone broth is broth made from simmering beef or chicken bones with water and seasoning in order to extract the beneficial healing nutrients from the bones. People are finally starting to understand the importance of a healthy gut for overall health, and since bone broth is great for your gut, more people are started to incorporate it regularly into their diets.
Are stock and bone broth the same?
Even though stock and bone broth are both made by simmering bones, water, and other seasonings, bone broth is simmered far longer than stock which is simmered for up to 4-6 hours – whereas bone broth simmers up to 48 hours, making it far more nutrient dense than stock.
We know everyone is different, but who would benefit from brothing?
Really anyone looking to elevate their health can benefit from brothing. While I typically suggest it to my patients with gut dysfunction, broth is rich in nutrients that can be beneficial for anyone to maintain optimal health.
What are the health benefits?
Bone broth shines when it comes to its ability to help restore a damaged gut. Since the gut is the foundation of your health, making sure your gut is healthy is essential to healing many chronic conditions since you don’t have to have typical gut symptoms to have gut dysfunction. Even if you don’t have digestive distress, your symptoms may be manifesting themselves in other areas of your body in the form of brain fog, anxiety, skin problems, and even autoimmune conditions.
This typically happens when your gut lining is damaged – in the case of leaky gut syndrome – allowing undigested food particles and bacterial endotoxins to enter your bloodstream which causes a cascade of chronic inflammation throughout the body. Bone broth contains collagen, glycine, and other beneficial nutrients that work to soothe inflammation and restore this damaged gut lining.
Is the bone broth diet safe for anyone to do?
Bone broth is generally safe for most people. However, those with histamine intolerance should be aware of potential side effects as it is considered a high histamine food.
Could brothing be compared to the benefits of juicing, or are they for completely different purposes?
Juicing and bone broth could be considered similar in the sense that for a time you are removing potentially damaging foods that are perpetuating symptoms in order to bring healing to your body. However, the nutrients that juicing provides are different than the nutrients found in bone broth and therefore help with different things. Bone broth can be more beneficial for targeted gut healing and juicing can be good from an overall health/detoxing perspective.
Are there any side effects/potential problems with the bone broth diet?
Like I said previously, those with histamine intolerance could have a problem with bone broth, especially in high amounts. The longer you simmer bone broth the more problematic it could become for those with histamine intolerance. Some people can tolerate bones simmered for less time or in small amounts. Symptoms can include fatigue, brain fog, nausea, headaches, and digestive distress.
Do you recommend making it at home? For people that don’t have time are there any brands you like?
Making bone broth at home is definitely the most economical option. But it does take more time so sometimes it’s more convenient to buy it. I love these:
Do you have a favorite bone broth recipe you could share?
I like finding ways to use bone broth in more ways than just soup. One of my favorite ways is using it to cook vegetables.
To see Dr. Cole’s recipe, click the button below!
Have you ever tried brothing? I’d love to hear how it helped you. Share your experience with me in the comments below, or on my Instagram!
Special thanks to Dr. Cole for taking the time to answer my questions!
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