Digestion and Gut Health

Benefits of Bone Broth for Gut Health

Disorders of the digestive tract impact more than 60-70 million people in the US.¹ Healthcare practitioners understand that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is responsible for nutrient digestion and absorption, as well as ridding the body of waste, but the lower portion of the GI tract plays a number of other important roles in our health. 

Specifically, the microbiome, the integrity of the gut lining, and our immune system are all related to full body health.^2–5 An imbalanced microbiome and poor gut integrity have been linked to a number of conditions, including:^3,4,6–8

• Autoimmune Disorders - including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, atopic dermatitis, and atopic asthma
• Metabolic Diseases - such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes
• Psychiatric Disorders
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Leaky Gut

While leaky gut is not recognized as a medical disease, its main characteristic of intestinal permeability is a real symptom. Having a healthy intestinal barrier allows for the exchange of nutrients, water, and electrolytes through the epithelial cells while preventing the entry of pathogens.^9,10 There are a number of things that can impact the health of the gut barrier, with nutrition being a key player.^6,11

Bone Broth & the Gut

Research has demonstrated that nutrition plays a role in intestinal permeability and gut health, with certain nutrients supporting the integrity of the gut while others may contribute to damage.¹¹ 

Kettle & Fire Bone Broths are some of the best foods for supporting gut health. It is high in many of the important nutrients that research shows can heal the gut lining. This includes:

• Collagen
• Gelatin
• Amino acids
• Glutamine
• Glycine
• Arginine

Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and studies show that ingestion of collagen may improve barrier function and digestive symptoms.^12,13 A study investigating the use of collagen in 36 women with an average age of 46 found that women reported a beneficial effect on symptoms of intestinal pain and bloating on a medical symptom questionnaire.

The same study also interviewed US-based healthcare practitioners who cited that their patients experienced a “reduction in bloating, stomach cramps, flatulence, and acid reflux, as well as improvement in irregular bowel movements when used daily for a period of at least 6 to 8 weeks.”¹³

While the study does have limitations, it suggests improvements in GI symptoms and warrants further investigations on the benefits of dietary intake of collagen on the health of the gut.  

Gelatin

Gelatin is a protein made from collagen and boasts the presence of some pretty important amino acids: proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine. Animal trials demonstrated that bovine-derived gelatin peptides exerted an anti-inflammatory effect, positively impacted tight junction proteins, improved the microbiome composition, and helped protect the gastric lining.^14,15 In humans, it has been noted that gelatin protects the gut by forming protein-rich fils that line the gut walls.¹⁶ 

Amino Acids & Gut Health

Research suggests that some amino acids may play a therapeutic role in gut health.¹⁷ Bone broth, collagen, and gelatin are high in some of these important amino acids.

Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and is considered conditionally essential. During times of physical stress, the body’s demand for glutamine is greater than the ability to synthesize it.¹⁸

The role of glutamine in intestinal health is well-established, as it acts as a fuel source for the enterocyte.¹⁹ As far back as the 1990s, the Lancet published a trial demonstrating how the addition of glutamine to patients' nutritional care prevented the deterioration of gut permeability and preserved the structure of the mucosal lining.²⁰

Since then, it has continued to be studied for its role in intestinal health, and healthcare practitioners have used bone broth or supplemental glutamine as a way to help their patients with disorders of the gut.

Glycine

Glycine is a conditionally essential amino acid found in bone broth. Clinical trials suggest that it can protect the intestinal wall from oxidative damage. In Wang et al.’s review “Amino Acids and Gut Function,” the publication highlights that glycine works by scavenging free radicals, acts as an osmoprotectant, and participates in extracellular signaling and the modification of biologically active molecules.¹⁷

Arginine

The enterocyte is responsible for the synthesis of the conditionally essential amino acid arginine, with glutamate being a precursor molecule.¹⁷ Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide (NO), which can help to reduce inflammation by regulating cytokine production.²¹ Wang points out that animal models have shown the benefit of NO in suppressing mucosal inflammation and that arginine can be an effective agent in improving intestinal barrier function.¹⁷