Bone broth has become a popular wellness trend, but its roots go back centuries in traditional medicine systems like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ayurveda, and even folk remedies worldwide. It’s praised for its nutritional richness and therapeutic properties, offering a range of health benefits that support everything from digestion to joint health.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the key components of bone broth, its nutritional value, and its role in alleviating various disorders according to traditional healing systems. To top it off, we’ll provide a simple, yet nourishing bone broth recipe that you can make at home.

What Is Bone Broth?
Bone broth is made by simmering animal bones and connective tissues, often with vegetables, herbs, and spices, for an extended period—usually 12 to 24 hours. This slow simmering extracts essential nutrients, minerals, and gelatin from the bones, creating a nutrient-dense broth.
While similar to stock, bone broth is cooked longer to extract more nutrients, especially collagen, gelatin, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. This extended cooking time transforms it into a health-boosting elixir that has been consumed for centuries.
Nutritional Constituents of Bone Broth
Bone broth is packed with vital nutrients and bioactive compounds, which contribute to its wide-ranging health benefits. Here are the key constituents:
Collagen: The most abundant protein in the body, collagen supports the structure of skin, bones, muscles, and connective tissue. When simmered, collagen from the bones turns into gelatin, which helps support joint health and skin elasticity.
Gelatin: Gelatin is a cooked form of collagen. It supports gut health by restoring the intestinal lining and aiding digestion. It also contributes to skin, hair, and nail health.
Amino Acids: Bone broth contains important amino acids like:
Glutamine: Known for supporting gut health and healing intestinal permeability.
Glycine: Promotes detoxification, improves sleep, and supports joint and muscle repair.
Proline: Essential for maintaining the structure of tissues like skin and joints.
Minerals: Slow-cooking the bones leaches out essential minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and trace minerals. These minerals support bone density, heart health, and muscle function.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin: These compounds, which are naturally present in bones and cartilage, are known to support joint health and reduce inflammation.
Health Benefits of Bone Broth
Bone broth is often touted as a superfood for its ability to support multiple bodily systems. Below are some of the benefits associated with its consumption:
1. Joint Health and Arthritis Relief
Thanks to its high collagen content, bone broth supports joint health. Collagen breaks down into gelatin, which provides the amino acids necessary for the maintenance and repair of cartilage and connective tissues. The presence of glucosamine and chondroitin helps alleviate joint pain and inflammation, making bone broth especially beneficial for individuals with arthritis.
2. Gut Health and Digestion
Bone broth is a staple in gut healing protocols like the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet. The gelatin in bone broth helps repair the intestinal lining, making it useful for conditions like leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease.
The amino acid glutamine found in bone broth is particularly beneficial for gut health, as it helps restore the integrity of the gut wall and reduces inflammation in the digestive tract.
3. Skin, Hair, and Nail Health
Collagen is a key component of skin elasticity and firmness. Regular consumption of bone broth can help improve the skin’s appearance, reduce wrinkles, and promote hydration. The collagen, glycine, and proline in bone broth also contribute to stronger hair and nails.
4. Immune Support
In TCM and other traditional medicine systems, bone broth is considered nourishing and immune-boosting. It helps replenish the body’s vital energy, or qi, by strengthening the kidneys, spleen, and digestion. The minerals and amino acids support overall immune function, making it a staple for recovery from illness or fatigue.
5. Bone Health
Bone broth provides essential minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in highly absorbable forms. These minerals are crucial for maintaining bone density, particularly in aging individuals, making bone broth a useful ally in preventing conditions like osteoporosis.
6. Sleep and Mental Health
The amino acid glycine found in bone broth has calming effects on the brain, promoting relaxation and improving sleep quality. It also supports the production of serotonin, which enhances mood and mental clarity. For individuals dealing with stress, anxiety, or insomnia, bone broth can be an excellent addition to their diet.
Bone Broth in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
In TCM, bone broth is seen as a "warming" food that nourishes the kidneys and supports blood production. It is particularly recommended for individuals with qi or blood deficiencies, which may present as fatigue, cold extremities, or pale complexion.
According to TCM, bone broth strengthens the jing (essence) in the kidneys, which is responsible for vitality and longevity. By nourishing the kidneys and enhancing the body's vital energy, bone broth helps promote longevity and overall wellness.
Bone Broth in Other Traditional Practices
In Ayurvedic medicine, bone broth is viewed as nourishing and rejuvenating, often used to support recovery after illness or fasting. The broth's nutrient density helps rebuild tissues, balance the body’s doshas (especially Vata), and provide deep nourishment.

Bone Broth Recipe: Make It at Home
Making bone broth at home is easy, and the result is a nutrient-rich, flavorful broth you can sip on its own or use as a base for soups, stews, and other dishes. Here’s a simple recipe:
Ingredients:
2 to 3 pounds of animal bones (beef marrow bones or a chicken carcass work well)
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 onion, quartered
2 knobs of ginger
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
A handful of cracked peppercorns
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (helps draw out minerals from the bones)
A few sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or parsley
3-5 medium to large bay leaves
Water (enough to cover the bones by 1-2 inches)
Blanch your Bones: Blanch your (raw) bones by boiling them in water for 15-20 minutes. Strain and rinse. This will remove most of the impurities and give you a clean and clear broth once finished.
Prepare the Bones: Roast your bones at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes to deepen the flavor. If using leftover bones from a cooked meal, you can skip this step. Be sure to flip the bones halfway through.
Simmer the Broth: Place the bones in a large pot or slow cooker. Add the apple cider vinegar, cracked peppercorns, and a knob of ginger. Pour enough water to cover the bones by about 1 to 2 inches.
Bring to a Boil: Heat the pot over medium heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook: Simmer covered for 12 to 24 hours. The longer it simmers, the more nutrients you extract from the bones. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface during the first hour and add more water as necessary to keep the bones covered.
Continue to Cook: During the final two hours or so of cooking, add your vegetables and the rest of your aromatics. These take less time to extract all their goodness and over cooking can destroy some of the more delicate constituents. For a flavor boost, roast the veggies at 400 degrees for 15- 20 minutes prior to adding to pot.
Strain: After cooking, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove bones and solids. Do not give your dog the left-over bones, cooked bones are very soft and can get lodged in their intestines.
Store: Allow the broth to cool, then store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 6 months. Freeze in ice trays for smaller servings to add to recipes one or two blocks at a time.
Bone broth tastes great when added to almost every dish. Add an iced cube to substitute as cooking oil, give flavor, and enhance nutrients in your veggies and other dishes.
Remember, your final product is only as good as the raw ingredients you’ve used to create it. Buy organic and grass-fed whenever possible. Or, even better, grow your own.
Tip * Take your softened left-over bones and grind them in your food processor. This is bone meal. Add some to your garden for a natural boost in phosphorous and calcium or to your pets food for a natural nutrient supplement.
Commenti