Bone Broth Benefits: How Its Nutrients Fortify Gut Barrier in Health and Disease

Abstract

Bone broth is a traditional nutrient revered by different people from ancient times to the modern era as a remedy for various illnesses. This review investigates the nutritional components of bone broth, focusing primarily on the most abundant amino acids and minerals saturated in bone broth and their impact on health, particularly in the context of intestinal barrier integrity, intestinal permeability, inflammation, and their application in inflammatory bowel disease. Through comprehensive reviews of animal and human studies, this research highlights that bone broth includes amino acids (glutamine, glycine, proline, histidine, arginine), minerals (Ca, P, K, Mg, Zn) that are beneficial and not just a traditional remedy, resolving questions that have been posed for generations. The benefits documented for components in bone broth support the enhancement of gut health, alleviate inflammation in the intestinal barrier, improve intestinal barrier function in health and disease states, particularly in inflammatory bowel disease, as well as enhancing nutrient absorption. Bone broth offers a nutrient-dense option for enhancing overall health and may offer an alternative to dietary supplements with claims for enhanced gut health. We aim to foster interest in and provide evidence to substantiate claims for bone broth as a potential remedy, particularly for maintaining remission in conditions like IBD and possibly functional diarrhea and to encourage further research.

Keywords: Arginine; Glutamine; Glycine; Histidine; Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); Intestinal permeability; Minerals; Proline.