Bone broth (or stock) is fabulous for healing intestinal permeability. It contains collagen, which nourishes the intestinal lining and reduces inflammation. Plus, it’s easy for a damaged gut to digest and reap the benefits of its protein and minerals. Our version contains added gut superfoods that will take its gut-restoring potential to the next level. The vegetables add prebiotic, anti-inflammatory, flavonoid and nutrient properties, and the spices we use have been specifically shown to improve gut integrity. If you suffer with increased intestinal permeability or one of the many conditions associated with leaky gut, this is a must-have in your regular culinary repertoire.
Conditions associated with leaky gut include: Acne, allergies, brain fog, Celiac disease, constipation, Crohn’s disease, depression, diarrhea, eczema, fatigue, food intolerance, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, hives, IBS, migraines, overweight/obesity, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, rosacea, ulcerative colitis.
Side note: broth is also inherently calming, consoling and restorative, which if it helps reduce your stress levels is also going to help your gut. To learn more about leaky gut, including other factors that can help heal it, read our article here.
The “dance of methylation” extends far beyond supplementing with B12 and methylated folate. Indeed, long term outcome studies using this approach are lacking, and research suggests caution is advised with regard to imbalanced hypermethylation. However, much can be done to safely support methylation balance.
Sparing “methyl donor drain” through appropriate lifestyle interventions, including reducing total body inflammation, augmenting the microbiome and promoting exercise, stress reduction and sufficient sleep, along with a careful dietary prescription that supports methyl donor reserve is a safe, nuanced approach which allows the complex, homeodynamic process of methylation to take place.
To learn more about how to eat and live your way to methylation health, click here for articles, or take a look at our books – Younger You: Reduce Your Bio Age and Live Longer, Better and the Younger You companion cookbook Better Broths & Healing Tonics – and other Younger You longevity resources here.
Bone Broth Report
A very fundamental question many of us have these days: What is the toxic metal content in different bone broths? And while we’re at it: What really is the nutrient element content in different bone broths?
Leaky Gut Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Poultry, fish, shellfish, beef or lamb bones Options include: cooked bone with a previous meal, with or without skin mean; raw bones with or without skin and meat (can also be browned first for flavor); use a whole carcass or just parts (good choices include feet, ribs, necks and knuckles)
- 4 Cups Cold water Or enough to cover the bones
- 1-2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 Medium onion Peeled and quartered
- 2-3 Cloves garlic Peeled and sliced in half
- 1/4 Cup Dried wild mushrooms Such as shitake
- 1 Tsp Turmeric powder Or 1 fresh turmeric rhizome, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2-3 Slices Fresh ginger root Peeled
- 1 Tbsp Dried oregano
- Handful Fresh parsley Only add the parsley for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Instructions
- Combine bones, water and vinegar in a pot, bring to a boil, remove any scum that has risen to the top and reduce heat.
- Simmer 4-6 hours for fish or shellfish, 6-48 hrs for poultry, 12-72 hrs for beef or lamb, the longer the better so that more gelatin and nutrients are released into the liquid.
- Add the vegetables, spices and herbs for the last hour of cooking.
- Strain through a sieve and discard the bones and vegetables. If uncooked meat was used to start with, you may reserve the meat for soup or salads. If you wish to remove the fat, use a gravy separator while the broth is warm, or skim the fat off the top once refrigerated.
- Cold broth will gel when sufficient gelatin is present. Broth may be frozen for months, or kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
- Broth can be used in soups, stews, braised dishes, sauces, or gravies.
- It can also be sipped as a warm drink, especially nice with a squeeze of lemon and a little sea salt.