SCD Ingredients: The Gut-Healing Properties of Bone Broth

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History & Origins:

Bone broth has been made for millennia as a way to get nutrients out of otherwise non-consumable parts like hooves, knuckles, and bones. While bone broth has been consumed seemingly since the dawn of hunters and gathers, about 2,500 years ago is the first written mention of bone broth in Chinese medicine. It was used to strengthen kidney and gastrointestinal function. Since then, bone broth has become an important part of many cultures as the base for many soups and stews. Even Hippocrates in ancient Greece recommended it for a variety of digestive ailments. As of late, bone broth has taken center stage again in the health food community for the same things it was used for in the days of old. Being touted for gut-healing properties as well as joint health, and immune function; in addition to containing many vitamins and minerals. Only now are we beginning to understand the true healing capability of this ‘liquid gold’.           

How It’s Made:

While the process of making bone broth is quite simple, it does take some time to get all the nutrients from the bones and cartilage. Depending on what type of bones you are using this could take anywhere from 10-36 hours. 

  1. Traditionally bone broth’s first step is blanching. This is a process in which the bones are rinsed and placed in cold water in a large pot. They are then boiled for 20 minutes and drained. This gets rid of impurities and helps dial down the mineral taste. Oftentimes I will just rinse the bones before adding to the stock pot to make the broth. Depending on how your bones look, and what quality they are will help you make the decision of including this full step.

  2. Roasting is usually next. After blanching, bones are coated with tomato paste and roasted at high heat for at least 45 minutes to caramelize them, adding tons of flavor. While this is the classic method, I often skip this step depending on how much time I have. While it does add flavor, this step does not impact nutritional quality so if it doesn’t fit in your timeframe don’t feel bad for skipping it.

  3. Next up is the main step of bone broth, the simmering. Once you have added your vegetables, bones, herbs, vinegar, and water to your stock pot, you are ready to make your bone broth. First, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let the broth simmer for at least 10 hours to extract all the nutrients you can, longer if you have the time. You may be asking, why add vinegar? Well vinegar is a huge help in extracting all the vitamins and minerals from the bones, you might otherwise not get out. While you may be skipping blanching and roasting, don’t skip the vinegar! If you are planning to simmer for more than 14 hours, I suggest making your bone broth in a slow cooker. This will help you avoid the dilemma of a stove burner on while you sleep, which is never a good idea. During this lengthy time of simmering, it is important to skim the top to remove impurities and extra fat. This will make for not only a better tasting bone broth, but one that is clearer rather than cloudy when hot.

  4. The last major step in the bone broth making process is straining. When the broth is done simmering, strain out all of the vegetables, herbs, and bones. Using a fine mesh strainer is best, so it will catch all the little shards of bones, and any smaller items like herbs, and tomato seeds. Once strained, place into jars and allow to cool at room temperature for an hour or two before capping and refrigerating. Be sure to never leave the broth out to cool for more than 4 hours as it will put it in the danger zone for harmful bacteria, and all that work will be for nothing. After refrigerating, you will notice a fat cap that forms on the top. Simply discard this fat cap, and enjoy the fruits of your labor as is, or as a base for healing soups and stews.          

Health Benefits:

Bones themselves contain a host of vitamins and minerals including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Tissues used like cartilage contain collagen, gelatin, glycine, and glutamine; while bone marrow has loads of iron, zinc, vitamins A & K, zinc, manganese, and selenium. These of course are not all of the nutrients from bone broth, making it hard to beat as far as nutritionally dense food goes. With all of these nutrients, it’s easy to see how bone broth can get so many benefits. 

For starters, bone broth can help heal the digestive tract by providing collagen, which helps the gut lining to repair itself. This is especially important for those with IBD, as the intestinal walls tend to break down on a mucosal level. It also contains gelatin which is helpful in building and protecting joints. Gelatin works by attracting and holding liquid, which is why bone broth will congeal when cold. As it moves through your digestive tract it will bind to water and help move food through the intestines more easily, aiding in digestion. Glycine is an important amino acid, or building block, to help make vital proteins that help lower inflammation and help protect against ulcers. Bone broth also contains glutamine, which is responsible for providing energy for cells to function properly in addition to keeping the integrity of the gut lining intact. 

Bone Broth & SCD:

After learning all the benefits of bone broth, and its relation to healing the intestines on a mucosal level, it’s not hard to see why it’s so important to gut health and the Specific carbohydrate Diet. While there is not a recipe for bone broth in Breaking the Vicious Cycle, it is generally accepted that it can be consumed in every stage including the introduction. This is because the nutrients in bone broth are not only paramount to consume, but are more easily absorbed by the digestive tract than solid food. This is vital for those with IBD, as when experiencing active disease, the present inflammation and its damage can make it harder to absorb nutrients in the first place. 

So, after all this information, you are ready to give bone broth a go for yourself? You may be wondering what types of bones you should use and where you should source them from. While beef is by far the most popular choice, you can also use chicken, turkey, fish, bison, or veal. If you choose to use bison, be sure to simmer for 24-36 hours as they are thicker and will take longer to get the nutrients out. I generally get beef bones that are labeled ‘soup bones’. These bones consist of shin, knuckle, back, and marrow bones, although other types can be used as well. These types of bones are well suited for stock, broth, and soups, hence the name. If you can find bones that are organic, grass-fed, or grass-finished (or all three) those will yield the best quality bone broth. Generally speaking, your local farmer’s market is the best place to source quality bones for broth. Not only are they local, they often are grass-fed and finished for half of the price you would find in the grocery store. You also get the added advantage of getting to know the farmer directly and asking them any questions you may have. More times than not, they are happy to share techniques, recipes, and advice in relation to what they are selling. If you just don’t have the time to make bone broth, but would like the benefits from it, there are several good store-bought brands you can get, although they can get pricey. Kettle & Fire, Bonafide, and Thrive Organics are a few brands that use quality ingredients. Some of the store-bought brands you will find in the soup aisle and some will be in the frozen section, just be sure to read all the ingredients and make sure they are SCD compliant. Cheers to gut health!             

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