Is Bone Broth Good for Gut Health? The Science Behind the Hype

Let's talk gut health. It's the question we get asked about more than anything else.

People come to us after years of bloating, food sensitivities, that low-level discomfort that becomes so familiar you start thinking it's just... normal. It's not. And more often than not, when they've started drinking bone broth consistently, things begin to shift.

There's a reason bone broth has been a staple in traditional diets for hundreds of years. Long before anyone was talking about gut microbiomes or intestinal permeability, cultures around the world were making broth from bones and using it as both food and medicine. It turns out, they were onto something.

So here's what's actually going on — and why the nutrients in a good quality bone broth are so well-suited to supporting gut health.

What nutrients in bone broth support gut health?

The gut lining is remarkable. It's a single layer of cells standing between your digestive tract and the rest of your body — and it has to do a huge amount of work every single day. When it's healthy, it lets the right things through (nutrients) and keeps the wrong things out (undigested food particles, bacteria, toxins). When it's under stress, those boundaries start to blur.

Bone broth contains several nutrients that directly support the integrity of that lining.

Collagen and gelatin

When you slow simmer bones for long enough — 12 hours for chicken, 24 for beef — the collagen in the connective tissue breaks down into gelatin. That's why a good bone broth sets like jelly when it cools. Gelatin is essentially pre-digested collagen, which makes it easy for your body to absorb and use.

The gut lining contains collagen as a key structural component. Providing your body with a ready source of it means your gut has the raw materials it needs to repair and maintain itself.

Glycine

Glycine is an amino acid that makes up roughly a third of collagen. It's found in abundance in bone broth, and it plays a specific role in gut health beyond just structure. Glycine has been shown to help regulate the inflammatory response in the gut lining. It's also involved in the production of stomach acid, which matters more than most people realise — low stomach acid is often behind poor digestion and nutrient absorption.

Glutamine

Glutamine is the primary fuel source for the cells of your small intestinal lining. Research suggests it plays an important role in maintaining the tight junctions between those cells — the barriers that stop unwanted particles crossing into your bloodstream. When the gut is inflamed or under stress, glutamine levels can drop, which is where dietary sources become useful.

Proline

Another amino acid found in bone broth. Proline works alongside glycine in collagen synthesis and has antioxidant properties that help protect the gut lining from oxidative damage.

Minerals

Long-simmered bones release calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium into the broth. These minerals support overall digestive function and are often depleted in people with compromised gut health who aren't absorbing nutrients well.

Can bone broth help with leaky gut syndrome?

Leaky gut — or intestinal permeability, to use the clinical term — happens when the tight junctions between the cells of your intestinal lining become compromised. Instead of a selective barrier, you end up with something more porous. Partially digested food particles, bacterial toxins, and other substances that should stay in your digestive tract start crossing into surrounding tissue and the bloodstream.

Your immune system responds by treating these as threats. The result is often chronic, low-grade inflammation — which can show up as anything from bloating and skin issues to brain fog, fatigue, and food intolerances.

Here in NZ, we're surrounded by processed foods that are hard on the gut. Add stress, poor sleep, antibiotics, and a diet low in fermented foods, and you've got conditions where leaky gut is increasingly common.

The nutrients in bone broth — particularly collagen, gelatin, glycine, and glutamine — are specifically useful here because they target the gut lining directly. They provide the building blocks for repair rather than just suppressing symptoms.

It's worth being clear: bone broth isn't a magic fix, and we're not claiming it will cure any condition. But as part of a diet that's genuinely supportive of gut health — plenty of fibre, fermented foods, reduced processed food — it's one of the most practical and time-tested tools available.

We hear this from customers regularly. One recent reviewer put it simply:

"These have completely re-regulated my gut function! Thanks Best Bones. Brilliant products!"

Another mentioned something that surprises a lot of people:

"It keeps you regular and also gives you energy for the day."

Gut health and energy are more connected than most people realise. When your gut is absorbing nutrients properly, the rest of your body tends to follow.

How much bone broth should you drink for gut health?

This is the question we get asked most, and the answer is simple: start small and build up.

For general gut support, one cup per day is a good place to start. Some people with more significant gut issues work up to two cups. Others use our powder to cook with daily — stirred into soups, used as a base for sauces, added to rice — without drinking it straight.

Consistency matters more than quantity. A little every day over weeks and months will do more than a lot of broth for a few days.

If you're new to bone broth, we'd suggest starting with our Chicken Bone Broth. It has a naturally savoury chicken flavour — clean and warming, and a direct result of using quality ingredients rather than flavour additives. Our Beef Bone Broth powder has a surprisingly mild flavour — it won't overpower whatever you add it to. Stir it into smoothies, coffee, soups, or sauces and you get all the nutrition without a strong beef taste coming through. It's one of the most versatile formats we make.

The powder format makes it easier to be consistent because it doesn't require refrigeration and you can take it anywhere. One teaspoon dissolved in hot water gives you a full serving of broth.

Best Bones Broth vs generic options — why quality matters

Not all bone broths are equal. This is something we feel strongly about, because we've seen what's in the alternatives.

When we first started making our bone broth powder, we had it independently lab tested. We compared results with an Australian competitor whose product was being marketed heavily at the time. The difference was significant. They were using fillers — maltodextrin, natural flavours, emulsifiers — to bulk out the product and cut costs. The nutrient profile told a different story to what the label suggested.

There are a few things worth looking for when choosing a bone broth:

Bones sourced from certified organic farms. Bones store toxins. If the animals were raised with pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic hormones, those can concentrate in the bone tissue. We use bones from certified organic NZ farms — meaning the organic status of those ingredients has been independently verified, not just claimed on packaging. We're transparent about this distinction: it's the ingredients that are certified, and we think that's what actually matters.

NZ or grass-fed source. Pasture-raised animals have a different nutritional profile from grain-fed. NZ grass-fed beef and free-range chicken are genuinely some of the best in the world — it's worth using a product that sources here.

No fillers or additives. Our bone broth powder contains one ingredient: bone broth. No maltodextrin, no natural flavours, no flow agents. Just broth that's been freeze-dried to preserve as much of the nutritional value as possible.

The gel test. If you're buying liquid broth, put it in the fridge after opening. A good quality broth should set to a jelly. That gel is gelatin — the sign of a collagen-rich product. If it stays liquid, the broth hasn't been simmered long enough or with the right bones to extract meaningful collagen.

How to add bone broth to your daily routine

The easiest way is to replace your morning coffee or tea with a cup of bone broth a few times a week. Warm a mug of water, stir in a teaspoon of Best Bones Broth powder, add a little salt, a squeeze of lemon, and some fresh ginger if you have it. It takes about 90 seconds.

• Use it as the liquid when cooking rice, quinoa, or oats
• Add a teaspoon to soups, curries, and stews during cooking
• Stir into miso soup (off the boil, so you don't kill the miso's probiotics)
• Blend into smoothies — you won't taste it, but you'll get all the protein and collagen
• Use instead of water when sautéing vegetables

We hear a lot from customers who've been dealing with gut issues for years — bloating, intolerances, that general feeling of being off — and who've found that consistent broth, as part of a broader shift toward real food, has made a real difference. That's why we started this company, and it's why we care so much about what goes into the product.

If you have questions about whether bone broth is right for you, or you're not sure where to start, get in touch. We'd genuinely love to hear from you at hello@bestbonesbroth.co.nz.

Ready to support your gut health?

👉 Best Bones Broth Powder — pure, single-ingredient bone broth powder made with certified organic NZ bones. One teaspoon in hot water is all it takes.

👉 Daily Tonic — A Daily Ritual for Gut Health and Immunity — chicken bone broth infused with organic turmeric, ginger, lemon, and prebiotic fibre from psyllium husk. Built specifically for gut support.

As always, if you have a diagnosed gut condition or are under the care of a specialist, please talk to your doctor or dietitian before making significant changes to your diet. This article is for general information only.