Bone Broth, Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
Medicinal Profile of
Bone Broth, Chicken
(Gallus gallus domesticus)
Chicken bone broth is a deeply nourishing, time-honored food that bridges the gap between food and medicine. Made by slow-simmering chicken bones, connective tissue, and aromatics, it produces a golden, mineral-rich liquid that supports repair, hydration, and resilience across the body.
From a terrain standpoint, chicken bone broth is stabilizing, moistening, and tonifying, it helps rebuild structure when the body feels depleted, dry, or weak, yet it’s light enough to digest easily compared to beef broth. Its warmth and savory essence also encourage gentle circulation and digestive vitality without overwhelming the system.
Over time, chicken bone broth balances dryness, atrophy, and collapse terrain patterns, supporting recovery from stress, fatigue, or chronic undernourishment. Because it’s both grounding and absorbable, it’s also ideal for those who feel cold, tense, or burned out especially when appetite or digestion is low.
In simpler terms: chicken broth comforts and restores. It nourishes the gut, joints, skin, and nerves, helping the whole body regain tone and steady energy.
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👉 Tastes describe the initial impression a food or herb leaves on the tongue, and they reveal its deeper actions in the body, shaping digestion, circulation, and tissue response.
Savory (Umami) – Deeply nourishing and grounding; builds strength and stability through amino acids and minerals.
Slightly Salty – Supports mineral balance and gentle hydration of tissues.
Sweet (Subtle) – Offers mild replenishment and comfort through easily assimilated nutrients.
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👉Qualities describe the felt nature of a substance or practice, and how it acts in the body beyond nutrients or chemistry.
Circulating – Gently stimulates circulation and digestive fire without causing irritation.
Moistening – Restores hydration and elasticity to tissues through natural gelatin and electrolytes.
Light – Easy to digest and absorb, even for those with weakened digestion.
Tonifying (Astringent) – Strengthens and tightens lax or atrophic tissues, improving tone and structure throughout the body.
Stabilizing – Rebuilds terrain after depletion and helps the body retain nourishment more effectively.
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Chicken bone broth contains gelatin, collagen, glycine, and proline, amino acids that support connective tissue, skin elasticity, and gut lining repair. It’s rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements, plus electrolytes that restore fluid balance. The broth also offers B vitamins and small amounts of iron and zinc, essential for recovery and immunity.
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Homemade Broth: Simmer chicken bones (including feet, joints, and carcass) for 12–24 hours with onions, celery, carrots, apple cider vinegar, and herbs.
Short Broth (2–4 hours): Lighter, quicker to digest—ideal for sensitive digestion or acute weakness.
Medicinal Add-ins: Add warming spices like ginger or black pepper to enhance circulation; parsley or thyme for cleansing; or sea salt for mineral balance.
Storage: Keep refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months. Use as a base for soups, grains, or sipping tonics.
Indicated Patterns by Affinity
👉 Indicated patterns describe the functional state of the body and its organs and/or tissues, showing whether they are dry, atrophied, too damp (pressure), stagnant, lax, inflammed, sluggish, tense or underactive. The Primary Indicated Pattern is the main state where this remedy works best. Secondary Indicated Pattern(s) are the patterns that often develop over time when the primary state is left unaddressed. The primary pattern must be supported first, as this allows the secondary patterns to naturally ease or resolve.
👉Affinities are the organ systems and tissues where the remedy acts most strongly.
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Dryness / Atrophy (Primary Indicated Pattern) – Weakened or undernourished digestive tissues leading to poor absorption, low appetite, or constipation.
Examples: post-illness recovery, chronic dryness, gut lining depletion.
How it helps: Moistening and tonifying qualities repair mucosal tissues, while the warmth stimulates gentle digestive function.Collapse (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – Fatigue or loss of digestive vitality from overwork or stress.
Examples: exhaustion, low energy after meals.
How it helps: Provides grounding nourishment and easy-to-assimilate energy that rebuilds digestive fire. -
Atrophy / Collapse (Primary Indicated Pattern) – Tissue weakness, joint stiffness, or poor recovery after exertion.
Examples: brittle nails, weak joints, thin hair, slow tissue repair.
How it helps: The collagen and gelatin rebuild connective tissue, improving flexibility and structural integrity.Dryness (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – Loss of lubrication in joints or tendons due to dehydration or undernourishment.
Examples: creaky joints, cracking sounds, stiffness.
How it helps: Restores moisture and elasticity through its oily, collagen-rich nature. -
Collapse / Dysregulation (Primary Indicated Pattern) – Fatigue, restlessness, or poor stress resilience.
Examples: anxiety, poor sleep, overactive mind, post-stress burnout.
How it helps: The stabilizing and nourishing actions calm the nervous system, providing amino acids that restore neurotransmitter balance.Atrophy (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – Nervous depletion from chronic malnourishment or depletion.
Examples: weakness, low mood, or sensory fatigue.
How it helps: Builds the body’s reserves gradually, improving steadiness and mental clarity.
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👉 Medicinal actions describe the specific ways a food influences organ systems and body functions.
Digestive System
Nutritive Tonic – Deeply replenishes the digestive system by providing easily assimilated proteins, minerals, and amino acids that rebuild gut strength.
Demulcent (Internal Moistener) – Soothes and repairs the lining of the intestines and stomach, easing dryness, irritation, and sensitivity.
Digestive Supportive (Stomachic) – Encourages gentle digestive warmth and enzyme flow, improving nutrient absorption in depleted or sluggish digestion.
Musculoskeletal System
Reconstructive (Connective Tissue Builder) – Supplies collagen, gelatin, and amino acids that repair and strengthen bones, joints, cartilage, and ligaments.
Anti-inflammatory (Joint Soother) – Reduces discomfort or stiffness in joints through glycine and glucosamine content.
Tonifying (Structural Stabilizer) – Restores tone to muscles and connective tissues weakened by stress, depletion, or inactivity.
Nervous System
Nervine Restorative – Nourishes the nervous system and promotes calm resilience through amino acids like glycine, which help regulate neurotransmitters.
Stabilizing (Grounding) – Balances nervous tension or overstimulation, helping the body feel safe and supported.
Sleep Supportive (Mild Sedative) – The amino acid glycine promotes deeper, more restful sleep when consumed regularly.
Immune & Lymphatic System
Immunomodulant – Supports immune strength by improving nutrient density and restoring gut-immune connection.
Alterative (Gradual Cleanser) – Encourages healthy detoxification through improved digestion and lymph movement.
Anti-inflammatory (Systemic) – Reduces low-grade inflammation and supports immune balance.
Integumentary System (Skin, Hair, Nails)
Vulnerary (Tissue Repairing) – Promotes wound healing and tissue regeneration through collagen, zinc, and amino acids.
Hydrating / Emollient (Internal Moisturizer) – Restores internal moisture that reflects outwardly as supple, hydrated skin.
Elasticity Supportive – Strengthens hair, nails, and skin integrity over time by rebuilding protein and collagen structure.
Circulatory & Cardiovascular System
Circulatory Supportive (Mild Warming) – Enhances gentle blood flow through warmth, improving nutrient delivery to tissues.
Mineral Balancing – Replenishes essential electrolytes like potassium and magnesium for heart rhythm and vessel tone.
Rejuvenative (Blood Nourisher) – Builds vitality and supports red blood cell production after illness or depletion.
Endocrine & Metabolic System
Adrenal Supportive – Restores foundational energy reserves depleted by chronic stress or fatigue.
Metabolic Rebuilder – Provides the amino acids and minerals necessary for healthy thyroid, adrenal, and metabolic function.
Anabolic (Tissue Builder) – Encourages cellular repair and growth, supporting the body’s rebuilding phase after illness or fasting.
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👉 Constituents are the natural compounds in a food that give rise to its actions in the body.
Collagen & Gelatin – Build connective tissues, strengthen joints, skin, and intestinal lining.
Glycine & Proline – Support detoxification, repair, and nervous system balance.
Minerals (Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus) – Maintain bone strength and electrolyte balance.
Chondroitin & Glucosamine – Support joint lubrication and cartilage repair.
B Vitamins & Trace Minerals (Iron, Zinc) – Aid energy metabolism and immune health.
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2nd Degree (Moderate) – Deeply nutritive and restorative over time, safe for daily use. Offers cumulative rebuilding without overstimulation.
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Generally safe and food-based.
May enhance absorption of minerals and herbal nutrients when used as a base.
Compatible with most herbs; pairs especially well with adaptogens and tonics.
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Not ideal for overheated, inflammatory, or congestive terrains without balancing with light or stabilizing foods (like greens or lemon).
Avoid long-term heavy use in people with high uric acid or gout tendencies (especially concentrated beef/chicken broths).
Use low-sodium versions if managing hypertension.
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Traditional Sources
Ayurveda: Rasayana (rejuvenative) class foods for vata-type depletion.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: Considered a jing-building tonic nourishing qi and blood.
Vitalist tradition: Used to strengthen the “formative principle” and restore structural tone.
Modern Sources
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: “Amino Acid and Collagen Composition of Traditional Chicken Broth.”
Nutrition Reviews: “Functional Benefits of Collagen Peptides.”
Frontiers in Nutrition: “Bone Broth as a Source of Bioavailable Minerals and Amino Acids.”
USDA Food Composition Database
