How Much Bone Broth to Drink for Leaky Gut? Plus the Top Benefits

Bone broth has been used in many culinary traditions throughout the world for thousands of years. Known for its healing, nutritional, and gut health benefits. This post will cover why bone broth is beneficial for healing leaky gut syndrome, how much you should consume each day, and the benefits of bone broth- hint they’re so good, you’ll want to keep drinking bone broth long after you heal your leaky gut!

How Much Bone Broth to Drink for Leaky Gut?

Many people find that six to eight ounces or 1 cup a day of bone broth helps to heal a leaky gut. If your body is new to bone broth, you may want to work your way up to six-eight ounces of bone broth daily, increasing the amount as it feels best for your body. If you feel any digestive symptoms or discomfort you may want to ease up. Most importantly listen to your body as you incorporate bone broth into your diet.

I’ve found people will drink anywhere from one to six cups a day when trying to heal leaky gut, autoimmune diseases, or other issues related to connective tissue such as joint pain. However, just one cup a day can make a great impact on your gut and overall health. Many people find one cup a day a realistic, doable amount of bone broth to drink on a consistent basis to not only heal your gut but continue to reap all the other benefits of bone broth over time and prevent leaky gut in the future.

Bone broth compliments many diets including the keto diet, as bone broth contains zero carbs. Bone broth is also a staple in the paleo diet and a great addition to any anti-inflammatory diet and can be mixed in with a soup or blended into a shake.

When making any major dietary change, it’s best to consult with a physician on what is best for you.

Although beef or chicken bone broth tends to be the most common, fish bone broth is also an option and a great choice for pescatarians.

Why Is Bone Broth Good for You and Your Gut?

The primary reason bone broth is so good for you is it can help heal the intestinal lining of your gut. Leaky gut syndrome is a result of a weakened gut lining. Bone broth is abundant in collagen, which is extracted from soaking and cooking the animal bones with vegetables and herbs. Collagen is about a third of the protein in your body, making it the most abundant protein. Collagen supports joint health and the elasticity of the skin, it’s also found in your bones, muscles, and blood. As you age your body naturally produces less collagen, which makes bone broth beneficial to both your gut health as well as anti-aging.

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Leaky Gut Syndrome is the result of damage to the gut lining, from toxins, stress, alcohol, sugar, poor diet, and/or chronic inflammation. Over time, the damage in the gut lining results in small tears in your intestines, which allows things to “leak” through the walls of your digestive tract into your bloodstream. This may include, food particles, toxins, and other microbes.

Since these food particles and toxins are seeping into your bloodstream, this can also result in food sensitivities or food intolerance. A leaky gut may also lead to a host of other health issues- such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), low energy, a weak immune system, food intolerances, hormone imbalances, ADHD, anxiety, or brain fog.

Health Benefits of Bone Broth

Bone broth is like a gift that keeps on giving in terms of the benefits to your overall health. Your gut is the crux of your health and immune system, by improving your gut health, you are supporting just about every cell and function in your body.

Bone broth is rich in collagen, gelatin, non-essential and essential amino acids. It is also a great source of vitamins such a vitamin A and vitamin K and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.

The higher quality of ingredients you use, the greater the nutritional benefits it will likely contain.

A few of the MANY benefits of bone broth include supporting:

• Weight loss
• Gut health heals & supports gut lining
• Reducing inflammation
• Joint health- supports healthy connective tissue and reduces joint pain
• Muscle growth
• Mental clarity
• Healthy skin, anti-aging benefits
• Strengthens hair & nail growth
• Fertility
• Increased energy levels

What to Look for When Buying or Making Bone Broth

You want to either make your own bone broth or buy a high-quality frozen bone broth. You can find bone broth in the freezer section of grocery stores or there are a number of companies that will deliver frozen bone broth to you. You want to avoid shelf-stable bone broths as they may be higher in histamines and sodium, which people with leaky gut may also be sensitive to. Look for high-quality bone broth, that has been grass-fed or pasture-raised and organic bones as well to limit any contaminants or added hormones that may continue to disrupt your gut health.

Making Homemade Bone Broth

You can bone broth at home using an Instant-Pot or pressure cooker, you can also use a slow cooker or a pot on the stovetop. Making bone broth is a lot more simple than you probably think it is, especially if you have an Instant-Pot or pressure cooker that can speed up the process. All you’ll need is 2-3 pounds of animal bones, such as chicken bones or beef marrow bones along with a tad bit of apple cider vinegar and a few veggies and herbs for your liking.

Bone broth can be kept in the fridge for about 3-5 days. If you make more than you can use during that time, you may choose to freeze it in smaller portions for later use. I like to use smaller mason jars that are freezer-safe.

How to Include Bone Broth in Your Diet

While some people enjoy drinking their bone broth heated and straight up to be out of a mug; I know it isn’t appetizing for everyone, especially if you are wanting a few cups a day! The good news is I have a few creative ideas for you on how to get bone broth in your diet, these also work great for the whole family!

• Soups & Stews: This is one of the most common ways to use bone broth. You can use it in place of stock or broth or you can add bone broth to any soup. It’s a great addition to chicken soup or any vegetable soup as well. I like to make soup the same day or the following day that I make bone broth, I then freeze everything so I have ready-to-go soups and both broth straight from my freezer!
• Smoothies: I tend to add anything and everything to a smoothie. You can add regular bone broth or use a bone broth powder, both are a great way to add a bit more nutrition into your smoothie. You do want to be selective as to what type of smoothie you add bone broth to and/or how much if you are sensitive to the taste. Start with just a couple of spoonfuls and add more to your liking.
• Rice: Use bone broth or part bone broth, part water to cook rice with. It adds great flavor and cooks in easily.
• Stir-Fried Vegetables: Just add bone broth to any cooked or stir-fried vegetables you are able to. Get creative. The savory taste of bone broth goes great with many vegetables.
• Mashed Vegetables: Like stir-fried vegetables, you can use bone broth rather than another liquid when making mashed sweet potatoes or other mashed vegetables.

Simple Bone Broth Recipe

• 1 whole chicken or animal bones (chicken, beef, etc)
• 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• Chopped vegetables such as 4 carrots, 4 celery stalks, kale, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 onion
• Parsley
• Filtered Water

Directions

1. Place chicken or bones in a large stovetop pot. Add enough water to cover bones, add apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Allow to sit for 30 minutes
2. Add vegetables to the pot and any additional water.
3. Bring to a boil, then bring to a simmer on the stovetop for at least 8-24 hours.
4. Add parsley before straining, allow to sit for 20 minutes.
5. Strain broth using a colander.

Optional: Add 1 tbsp of turmeric, cumin, oregano, thyme, basil, or lemon juice for added flavoring.

Store in the fridge for about 3-5 days or store in freezer-safe containers for a few months.

Take Away

Whether you drink bone broth straight up or add it into other foods, the goal is for your body to enjoy all the nutritional benefits bone broth has to offer on a regular basis. As with any new food, listen to your body and increase the amount as it feels good to you and ease up on it when needed.

Cheers to great health!

Sharing is caring!