Bone Broth

Bone broth is a deeply warming and restorative food that rebuilds the gut lining, joints, skin, immune system, and core strength. Rich in collagen, minerals, and amino acids, it’s especially suited for catabolic and thermic types who need grounding, moistening, or recovery from stress, illness, or injury. Its demulcent and strengthening properties make it a cornerstone in many traditional healing diets.

Monograph of

Bone Broth

• Family

  Derived from animal bones (typically beef, chicken, or fish)

• Taste

  Slightly sweet (from collagen and marrow)

  Salty (often enhanced with sea salt or mineral-rich herbs)

  Mild bitterness if over-boiled or from marrow content

• Season

  Ideal in late fall through early spring

  Traditionally used during cold weather or recovery periods

• Qualities

  Warming

  Moistening

  Heavy

  Stable

  Rebuilding

• Suitability

  Excellent for catabolic and thermic types needing nourishment, grounding, and recovery

  Can be too rich or congesting for anabolic types with signs of dampness or stagnation unless balanced with drying herbs (e.g., ginger, black pepper)

• Indicated Tissue States

  Tissue states show what’s happening at the tissue level — whether things are too dry, too tense, too inflamed — and what foods or herbs can help fix that. Bone Broth is best indicated for tissue states involving:

  Dry / Atrophy – restores moisture and rebuilds connective tissue

  Cold / Depression – deeply warming to core and metabolism

  Deficiency / Weakness – restores lost strength and reserves

  May aggravate Damp / Relaxation unless balanced with astringents or spices

• Affinities

  Affinities are the targeted tissues that a substance acts on after the release of chemicals. Bone Broth has an affinity for:

  • Gut and digestion

  • Bones, joints, cartilage

  • Immune system

  • Blood and marrow

  • Skin and connective tissue

• Chemical Constituents

  Collagen and gelatin

  Amino acids: glycine, proline, glutamine

  Chondroitin sulfate

  Glucosamine

  Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium (if acidified during cooking)

  Hyaluronic acid

  Bone marrow nutrients (trace minerals, fatty acids, stem-cell factors)

• Nutritional Value

  Low in calories (~35–50 kcal per cup)

  ~6–10g protein per serving (mainly collagen)

  Rich in minerals (if properly acidified and slow-simmered)

  May contain trace fats, fat-soluble vitamins if marrow or skin included

• Preparation Methods

  Made by slow-simmering animal bones (with joints, marrow, or skin) in water for 12–48 hours

  Often includes vinegar or lemon juice to extract minerals

  Herbs like bay, garlic, ginger, thyme, or turmeric may be added

  Can be refrigerated or frozen and sipped alone or used in soups, grains, or sauces

Note: To find out which foods and dosages are best suited for your body type, please take the Body Type Quiz to detect any current imbalances and consult a traditional whole-person health practitioner (like myself) for personalized support and recommendations. Once you’ve identified your predominant body type and your current imbalances, you can begin to make smarter choices about which foods to emphasize and add to your diet. Some foods will help restore balance while others may aggravate your current imbalances — so knowing both your baseline and current state is key to creating a truly supportive and therapeutic diet.

Medicinal Actions of

Bone Broth

• Digestive System

  Gut lining healer (gelatin and glutamine help seal leaky gut)

  Digestive demulcent (soothes inflamed intestinal tissue)

  Appetite restorer (mild, nourishing food during recovery)

  Nutritive *(supports absorption and microbiome balance)

• Muscuskeletal System

  Joint rebuilder (collagen, glucosamine, and chondroitin repair cartilage)

  Bone tonic (supplies minerals and matrix-building compounds)

  Tendon and ligament support *(hydrates and strengthens connective tissues)

• Immune/Lymphatic

  Immune tonic (supports innate immunity via marrow and micronutrients)

  Lymph mover (mild) *(moistens and moves sluggish tissues indirectly via gut and blood)

  Anti-inflammatory (mild) *(soothing effect from amino acids and collagen)

• Nervous system

  Nerve restorative (glycine and minerals calm and rebuild the system)

  Adrenal tonic (rebuilds reserves post-stress or depletion)

  Nourishing (deeply nourishing in long-term exhaustion or post-illness recovery)

• Circulatory System

• Skin/Connective Tissue

  Skin tonic (collagen, hyaluronic acid promote elasticity and hydration)

  Wound healing support *(builds structural integrity post-injury or surgery)

  Vulnerary (indirect) *(supports internal repair of skin and soft tissue)

• Respiratory System

  Mucosal nourisher – Moistens and strengthens delicate respiratory tract linings

  Post-infection restorative – Used traditionally after cough, cold, or flu to rebuild lung and immune tissue

  Expectorant (mild, indirect) – Warmth and moisture can help loosen mucus in recovery phases

• Urinary System

  Kidney supportive (indirect) – Moistening and warming effects help reduce dryness and cold in kidney-adrenal axis

  Electrolyte balancing (if made with mineral-rich salt and vegetables) – Supports hydration and kidney filtering capacity

• Liver & Gallbladder

  Liver restorative (indirect) – Supplies glycine, an amino acid critical for phase II detoxification, helping the liver conjugate and excrete toxins

  Bile flow supporter – The gelatinous quality (via glycine and glutamine) helps stimulate bile production, aiding fat digestion and liver unloading

  Glutathione precursor support – Glycine and glutamic acid contribute to the body’s production of glutathione, the liver’s master antioxidant

• References

  Fallon, Sally. Nourishing Traditions

  Price, Weston A. Foundation – Broth Healing Traditions

  USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory

  Bauman College – Food as Medicine Curriculum

  McBride, Natasha Campbell – Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS)