If there is one food I recommend more than any other to women healing their gut, it is bone broth. It has been a cornerstone of traditional medicine for centuries. Your grandmother probably made it without knowing the science behind why it worked so well.

But, as with everything in gut health, there are nuances. Not all bone broth is created equal, and for some women, the wrong type of bone broth can actually make things worse. As a gut health specialist, I want to give you the complete picture so you can use this powerful food correctly.

Let me walk you through what makes bone broth so special for your gut, when to be cautious, and how to prepare it for maximum healing benefit.

The Short Answer

According to Healthline, Bone broth offers numerous nutritional benefits and is one of the most therapeutic foods for women over 35 experiencing digestive issues. It contains zero FODMAPs when prepared properly (without onion and garlic), making it suitable even during the most restrictive phases of gut healing.

It is rich in collagen, glutamine, glycine, and gelatin, all of which directly support the repair of your gut lining. Think of bone broth as a warm, soothing support system for your intestinal wall.

The "Gut Science" Breakdown

FODMAP Rating

Bone broth is rated Zero FODMAP when made with just bones, water, salt, and apple cider vinegar (the acid helps extract minerals from the bones). This makes it one of the few foods safe at every stage of gut healing, even during the strictest elimination protocols.

The important caveat here is how you prepare it. Many bone broth recipes call for onion, garlic, and celery as aromatics. If you add onion and garlic, you have turned your zero-FODMAP healing food into a high-FODMAP trigger. Use garlic-infused oil for flavor after cooking, or add low-FODMAP vegetables like carrots and the green parts of leeks during the simmer.

Store-bought bone broth is convenient but often contains onion powder, garlic powder, or natural flavors that include FODMAP triggers. Read the label carefully, or better yet, make your own. It is simpler than you think.

I recommend bone broth as a daily staple for women in active gut healing. A warm mug in the morning, sipped slowly on an empty stomach, is one of the most therapeutic rituals you can adopt.

Why It Helps

Bone broth is genuinely one of the very few foods I would call a gut-healing superfood. Here is why.

First, it is packed with collagen. When you simmer bones for hours, the collagen in the connective tissue breaks down into gelatin, then into amino acids such as glycine and proline. These amino acids are the building blocks your body uses to repair the gut lining. According to a study published in the Journal of Epithelial Biology and Pharmacology, glutamine plays a critical role in maintaining intestinal epithelial tight junctions, which is exactly what breaks down in leaky gut.

Second, bone broth contains glutamine, which is the primary fuel source for the cells lining your small intestine (enterocytes). These cells turn over rapidly (every three to five days), and they need glutamine to regenerate.

When you are under stress, ill, or your gut is inflamed, your body burns through glutamine faster than you can replace it from regular food. Bone broth fills that gap.

Third, the gelatin in bone broth attracts and holds water, which supports healthy digestion and smooth transit of food through your intestines. This is why many patients notice more regular, well-formed bowel movements within days of adding daily bone broth.

Watch Out For

Here is the one scenario where bone broth can backfire: histamine intolerance. Bone broth that has been simmered for a very long time (24 hours or more) develops high levels of histamine. Histamine is a compound your body naturally produces, but some people have difficulty breaking it down, which can lead to symptoms such as headaches, flushing, hives, a rapid heartbeat, or worsened digestive symptoms.

Women over 35 are particularly susceptible to histamine issues because estrogen and histamine have a bidirectional relationship. As estrogen fluctuates during perimenopause and menopause, histamine tolerance can decrease. If you notice that bone broth makes you feel worse instead of better (flushed face, headache, or increased bloating), histamine may be the issue.

The solution is not to avoid bone broth entirely, but to adjust your cooking time. A shorter cook (under three hours) produces what we call meat stock, which is lower in histamine but still rich in gelatin and amino acids.

Dr. Gundle's "Weed, Seed, & Feed" Tip

In my Weed, Seed, and Feed protocol, bone broth is one of the few foods that works in every single phase.

During the Weed phase, when we are clearing harmful bacteria and reducing inflammation, bone broth provides easily absorbed nutrients without feeding the bad bacteria. It is gentle, soothing, and does not require much digestive effort. Your gut gets a rest while still receiving healing compounds.

During the Seed phase, when we reintroduce beneficial bacteria, bone broth creates a welcoming environment for these microbes by supporting the integrity of the gut lining.

During the Feed phase, bone broth continues to nourish and maintain the gut wall. I tell my patients: if you do nothing else from this program, drink bone broth every day. It is the single most impactful habit you can build.

I break all of this down in my free Gut-Healing eBook, including which foods to eat during each phase and how to build your own Weed, Seed, and Feed plan.

How to Eat This (If You Must)

Making bone broth at home is easier than most people think, and it is far superior to anything you will buy in a carton. Here is my simple, gut-safe recipe.

Take two to three pounds of bones (chicken carcasses, beef marrow bones, or a combination) and place them in a large pot or slow cooker. Cover with filtered water, add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (this helps pull minerals from the bones), and a generous pinch of sea salt. That is it. No onion, no garlic, no celery.

If you want more flavor, add carrots, the green parts of leeks, a thumb of fresh ginger, and some peppercorns. These are all low FODMAP and will give your broth a beautiful depth without causing gut issues.

For most people, simmer for eight to twelve hours for chicken bones, or twelve to eighteen hours for beef bones. If you suspect histamine sensitivity, keep it under three hours. You will get meat stock instead of bone broth, which is lower in histamine but still highly nutritious.

Once it is done, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, let it cool, and store in glass jars in the refrigerator. Good bone broth will gel when cold. That jelly-like consistency is the gelatin, and it means you did it right. It will keep in the fridge for five days or in the freezer for three months.

Drink it warm in a mug, use it as a base for soups, or cook your rice and quinoa in it instead of plain water for an added health benefit. Aim for one to two cups daily during active gut healing.

A Story You Might Relate To

Let me paint a picture for you. A woman (we will call her Rachel) comes to see me with a list of symptoms that would fill a page. Bloating after every meal. Fatigue that coffee cannot fix. Brain fog so thick she forgets words mid-sentence. Joint pain that her doctor says is just aging. She has been to three specialists, had normal blood work, and been told it is probably stress.

We start her on the Weed, Seed, and Feed protocol, and the very first thing I add to her daily routine is a mug of homemade bone broth every morning. She is skeptical. She has spent hundreds on supplements and fancy powders that did nothing. A cup of broth feels too simple to work.

Two weeks in, she messages me. Her bloating has decreased noticeably. Her morning brain fog is lifting. Her joints feel less stiff. She says it feels like someone turned down the volume on her inflammation.

That is not a miracle. That is glutamine feeding her gut lining cells. That is collagen sealing her tight junctions. That is glycine calming her nervous system. Bone broth works because it gives your body exactly what it needs to repair itself. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most powerful.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I cook bone broth for gut healing?

For maximum collagen and gelatin extraction, simmer chicken bones for 8 to 12 hours and beef bones for 12 to 18 hours. If you suspect histamine intolerance (symptoms like headaches, flushing, or worsened bloating), reduce cooking time to under 3 hours. This produces a meat stock that is lower in histamine but still rich in gut-healing nutrients.

Can bone broth heal leaky gut?

Bone broth is one of the most supportive foods for healing increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut). It provides collagen, glutamine, glycine, and proline, amino acids that your body uses to repair and rebuild the gut lining. While bone broth alone cannot fix leaky gut, it is a powerful part of a comprehensive healing protocol that includes removing trigger foods, rebalancing the microbiome, and reducing inflammation.

Is store-bought bone broth as good as homemade?

Most store-bought bone broth is significantly less therapeutic than homemade. Many commercial brands add onion powder, garlic powder, and natural flavors that can trigger gut symptoms. They also tend to be thinner and less gelatinous, which means less collagen and glutamine. If you must buy pre-made, look for brands that gel when refrigerated and have minimal ingredients: bones, water, salt, and vinegar.

The Bottom Line

Bone broth is as close to a gut-healing silver bullet as food gets. It is affordable, simple to make, and addresses multiple aspects of gut repair simultaneously, from sealing the gut lining to feeding intestinal cells to reducing inflammation and supporting regular digestion.

If you are living with chronic bloating, food sensitivities, or any of the symptoms that come with a compromised gut, adding bone broth to your daily routine is one of the easiest and most impactful changes you can make. Start today. Your gut will notice the difference within a week.

But remember, bone broth is one piece of the puzzle. For lasting results, you need a systematic approach that addresses the root cause of your gut issues.

The path forward is about healing the root cause so that food stops being your enemy and starts being your medicine again. My Heal Your Gut Academy gives you the foundational tools, step-by-step protocols, and community support to reduce inflammation, rebuild your microbiome, and eat with confidence again. Immediately you subscribe, you will be added to the interactive community.

If you know your situation is complex, my Heal Your Gut program provides 1:1 mentorship, advanced testing analysis, tailored protocols, and direct communication to uncover exactly what’s holding you back. Join Heal Your Gut Program.

Or, if you simply want me to personally investigate your unique triggers outside of the program structure, I invite you to work with me directly. Through private consultations and advanced test interpretation, we will heal your gut for good.