Ancestral and Medical Benefits of Bone Broth
On lineage, cellular memory, and the sacred art of simmering healing into our bones.
There are few things that ground me quite like the smell of my mother’s bone broth simmering in the kitchen. It's a scent that carries memories of home, of Sundays steeped in ritual, and of the quiet, invisible work that Black women have done for generations to keep their families alive and well.
Bone broth has been passed down in my family like scripture. My mom, who I swear is aging in reverse, swears by it. Not just for immune support or joint pain or collagen—though it helps with all of that—but for the nourishment it offers her soul. And now, decades later, I find myself returning to that sacred practice. When I stir the pot, I can hear her voice reminding me to use the chicken feet for extra gelatin and to “never forget the celery.”
It’s more than food—it’s a transmission.
The Pathophysiology of Bone Broth + Hormonal Healing
From a biomedical lens, bone broth acts as a deeply reparative tonic for both gut and hormonal health—two systems that are profoundly interconnected.
When we drink bone broth, we are feeding the foundation of the hormonal feedback loop: the gut-liver-brain axis. Here’s how it works:
Gut Healing + Hormone Metabolism
Up to 70% of our immune system lives in the gut, and so does the estrobolome—a specific collection of gut bacteria that helps metabolize and excrete estrogen.
When the gut lining is inflamed (due to stress, processed foods, antibiotics, etc.), we experience what's called intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut." This allows undigested food particles and endotoxins to enter the bloodstream, triggering chronic inflammation that disrupts hormonal signaling.
Bone broth:
Soothes the gut lining with gelatin and glycine, sealing the tight junctions between cells and reducing permeability
Improves nutrient absorption, ensuring your body can take in essential minerals like zinc, magnesium, and iron that are critical for hormone production
Regulates bowel movements, ensuring estrogen and other waste hormones are properly excreted through the stool
Neurotransmitters + Adrenal Support
Bone broth contains high levels of glycine, a calming amino acid that supports GABA activity in the brain—key for managing anxiety, sleep, and cortisol regulation. Glycine also supports phase II liver detoxification, a vital step in clearing out excess hormones.
Chronic stress dysregulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to elevated cortisol, irregular cycles, and fertility issues. Bone broth provides foundational nutrients to buffer this:
Collagen and gelatin support connective tissue and adrenal gland structure
Amino acids like arginine, glutamine, and proline reduce inflammation and rebuild tissue
Electrolytes from simmered bones (like sodium and potassium) nourish the adrenals and stabilize energy
Liver Detoxification + Hormone Clearance
The liver is responsible for detoxifying hormones, especially estrogen. If the liver is sluggish or overloaded, you may experience PMS, fibroids, estrogen dominance, or acne.
Bone broth supports this by:
Providing glycine and methionine—both crucial for methylation and hormone clearance
Enhancing bile flow, which is essential for the digestion of fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that regulate hormones
Supporting blood sugar balance through steady amino acid intake, which helps prevent insulin spikes that disrupt ovulation
In essence, bone broth is hormonal scaffolding. It doesn’t just “balance hormones” in a vague sense—it rebuilds the architecture of the very systems that govern our menstrual cycles, adrenal resilience, thyroid function, and fertility.
It is no coincidence that women in traditional cultures were given bone broths postpartum, preconception, and during menopause. These are threshold times where the body’s endocrine system needs deep nourishment—not quick fixes, but foundational, slow-cooked support.
Bone Broth Across Lineages
Africa
In many African cultures, bone-based broths were (and still are) considered deeply nourishing and sacred. Across West Africa, pepper soup is often made with marrow-rich bones and spices like grains of paradise, garlic, and ginger. This broth is given to women after childbirth to restore blood and vital energy, as well as to people recovering from illness. The fat and collagen were seen as building blocks for strength, immunity, and fertility. Elders believed it carried not just nutrients, but ancestral essence—a transmission of strength from animal to human.
China & East Asia
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) reveres bone broth as a kidney and “jing” tonic. Jing, or life essence, is believed to govern reproductive health and longevity. Broths made from pig bones, chicken feet, or fish heads were simmered with herbs like dong quai, goji berry, and ginseng to restore the yin after menstruation, childbirth, or burnout. It is a staple in postpartum confinement practices (known as “zuo yuezi”) and used to rebuild chi, blood, and hormone balance.
Mexico & Central America
In Curanderismo and Mexican midwifery traditions, caldo de hueso (bone soup) is a foundational part of la cuarentena—the 40-day postpartum healing period. Made with beef shank, vegetables, marrow bones, and sometimes dried herbs, it is used to "knit" the bones and restore warmth to the womb. In Indigenous Mayan and Zapotec cultures, warming foods like broth were vital for replenishing blood and chi. They also held spiritual significance, as animals were honored as life-givers.
Jewish Lineage
“Jewish penicillin,” or traditional chicken soup, is one of the most iconic bone broths in the world. Rooted in Ashkenazi Jewish culinary medicine, it was given during times of sickness, grief, or major life transitions. Beyond the matzah balls and carrots, the long-simmered chicken bones provided gelatin, minerals, and soulful comfort that nourished body and spirit alike.
Europe
In Eastern European, Mediterranean, and Celtic traditions, broths made from lamb, beef, or fish were staples in both peasant and aristocratic kitchens. In Slavic cultures, borscht often started with a bone-based stock. In France, the base of pot-au-feu is beef bone broth. These were seen as grounding, blood-building, and often paired with root vegetables and vinegar to help extract marrow and minerals.
Native American Traditions
Indigenous tribes across North America utilized every part of the animal, including bones, to craft medicinal broths. Deer, bison, or fish bones were slow-simmered, sometimes with medicinal plants or grains. These broths were used in healing rituals, winter survival, and ceremony. Many Indigenous teachings see broth as sacred—a literal medicine of reciprocity with the natural world.