Simmer Your Way to a Healthy Gut: Bone Broth for Diverticulitis

If you suffer from the abdominal pain, bloating, and digestive issues of diverticulitis, you know the importance of gut health. Recent research shows bone broth may help provide relief by reducing inflammation, repairing intestinal lining damage, and restoring a healthy microbiome. We will also discuss how you can incorporate bone broth into The Four Stages of Eating for Diverticulitis. Bone broth is not only soothing and healing, but the foundation for many of the recipes recommended in the different stages. Read on to understand the science behind bone broth’s gut-healing superpowers and how to harness them to ease your diverticulitis symptoms.

What Science Says About Bone Broth and Gut Health

Bone broth provides a holistic and natural way to heal the gut due to the following components:

• Collagen and Gelatin: These proteins attract and hold liquid, acting as a soothing gel that coats and protects irritated intestines. As a whole food source, bone broth provides collagen and gelatin in the most natural and bioavailable forms. Studies show supplemental collagen improves intestinal permeability and reduces inflammation.
• Glycosaminoglycans: These compounds strengthen the intestinal lining to prevent toxins, bacteria, and undigested food from “leaking” out of the intestines into the bloodstream. Bone broth delivers GAGs through grass-fed, free-range bones instead of synthetic supplements.
• Electrolytes: The sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in bone broth replenish electrolytes lost through diarrhea and vomiting, helping prevent dehydration. Drinking mineral-rich bone broth is gentler on the gut than traditional oral rehydration solutions.
• Hyaluronic Acid: This natural compound accelerates healing of damaged tissue through increased cell turnover and growth. By speeding up regeneration of intestinal cells, it may help repair diverticula faster. Consuming hyaluronic acid through bone broth allows it to work synergistically with collagen, gelatin and minerals for enhanced anti-inflammatory and gut-healing effects.

This information reveals bone broth’s advantage as a holistic, food-as-medicine approach to managing diverticulitis. Its whole food nutrients nourish the gut from the inside out.

Tips for Using Bone Broth to Find Diverticulitis Relief

Follow these gut-healing tips across the 4 Stages of Eating for Diverticulitis:

• Choose grass-fed beef or organic chicken bones: They contain more healthy omega-3 fats and nutrients compared to conventional bones. Roasting before simmering caramelizes them, enhancing both flavor and nutrient density.
• Simmer for 24 to 48 hours: This ample cooking time fully extracts collagen, gelatin, glycine and proline, all which help actively heal intestinal lining permeability. The longer simmer duration ensures maximizing the broth’s gut-mending potential.
• Drink 1-2 cups daily: Frequently sipping small amounts enables the broth’s nutrients to better coat, protect and heal your intestines. During a diverticulitis flare, some warm bone broth can be especially soothing. Stage 1 calls for liquids of 1-3 days to rest your system; sipping healing broth is ideal here. (Please see our recipe below and give it a try)
• Use as the base of Stage 2 through 4 soups & stews: Bone broth makes the ultimate starting point for anti-inflammatory, gut-friendly blended soups, chunky stews, and flavorful sauces as you progress through the latter stages.
• Add to mashed or steamed potatoes: Incorporating bone broth when preparing either potatoes without skin provides an easy avenue for obtaining additional collagen and minerals to continue healing your gut. Remember mashed is Stage 2 and steamed is Stage 3. 
• Supplement with collagen powder: For further intestinal anti-inflammatory and mucosal sealing effects, stir a scoop of flavorless collagen powder into any bone broth drinks.
• Gently simmer prebiotic vegetables like onions, leeks, and carrots right in your bone broth to extract their valuable gut-boosting fibers like inulin. Be mindful of your stage - only advance foods as tolerated without symptoms. Monitor and record symptom responses in the Diverticulitis Rescue Food Journal.

Bone broth helps promote healthy gut integrity while reducing permeability and inflammation. Always use grass-fed bones when making your own. Can also be made in a slow cooker or insta-pot.

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a 10-quart capacity slow cooker.
• Add in water.
• Simmer for 24–48 hours, skimming fat occasionally.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Discard solids and strain remainder in a bowl through a colander.
• Let stock cool to room temperature, cover and chill.
• Use within a week or freeze up to three months.

Give Your Gut Some Bone Broth Love

Warm, soothing bone broth is the perfect food to give your irritated gut some TLC. Sip this nutrient-dense elixir daily to harness its inflammation-quelling, tissue-healing powers. We've seen how bone broth contains compounds like collagen, gelatin, and hyaluronic acid that actively heal intestinal lining damage, making it an excellent gut-restorative tool for diverticulitis.

As a foundational gut-healthy food and liquid, bone broth fits wonderfully into the 4 Stages of Eating for Diverticulitis as well. You can drink cupfuls on its own during symptomatic times to give your digestive system a break while flooding it with healing nutrients. Later, bone broth makes the ultimate base for the soothing blended soups and gentle steamed vegetables foods introduced in later stages.

If you would like to learn more about tailoring your diet to find diverticulitis relief and recovery, we invite you to explore the 4 Stages of Eating with our FREE DIVERTICULITIS RESCUE QUICK GUIDE. Arm yourself with knowledge and use nourishing foods like bone broth to take an active role in soothing your symptoms. Here’s to gut health and thriving with diverticulitis!