Bone broth is ultra healing to your digestive system and your body. But when you have SIBO there is a right and a wrong way to make it. For instance, chicken broth, garlic and onion added in broth are all really bad ideas for a SIBO infection. When I first tried chicken broth when I was at the height of my illness, it did not help. It made matters worse. But when I was able to get ahold of marrow bones and learn how to make marrow bone broth and consume it on a daily basis, my body began to heal. Slowly, I was able to tolerate more foods, my skin and hair began to heal, and for the first time in ten years my muscle mass returned. I began to feel strong. So I am a huge fan of bone broth.
A good broth takes about a day to make in a crock pot or on the stove. While broth made in an Instant Pot (pressure cooker/crock pot) takes about half of a day. If you are feeling like that is just too overwhelming, you can try a new pre-made broth designed for those with digestive issues. You can find it here at GutRXGurus.
Marrow Bones
Marrow bones are the middle part of large animal bones cut into smaller pieces by a butcher who has removed the knuckle ends as well as any meat or other attached ligaments. In the grocery store, marrow bones look like the “cleanest” bones. Bones come in all sorts of different conditions depending on the butcher. Big knuckles bones with lots of ligaments, or cartilage attached make for really thick broths with high levels of gelatin and collagen and contain lots of flavor but can also be more difficult to digest for those with SIBO. Compounds released from the ligaments during cooking can feed SIBO for some patients. As you make more broths and experiment with recipes you may notice that the recipes that produce a really slippery broth may trigger more symptom. For traditional bone broth recipes the slipperiness is often prized and competed over, but for SIBO, the slipperiness can be too much. The slippery texture of a broth comes from the collagens released by the ligaments, the cartilage of the bones, as well as the fats. While the fats are usually well tolerated, and many of the gelatins too, the collagens can be more difficult to digest. This is why many SIBO patients tolerate meat broth or marrow broth over chicken broth, as chicken broth is higher in these collagens because the whole bird or carcass is used. If you are experiencing symptoms, stick to the cleaner bones that have more marrow and less cartilage attached. You can add meat flavor by adding stew meat into your broth.
Symptoms Caused By Bone Broth
Some people with SIBO report symptoms from bone broth. If you have experienced this, you are not alone but you can make adjustments to your recipes to help prevent a SIBO reaction. Symptoms can be caused by just about anything, even if it is considered “SIBO safe.” I know this can be discouraging, but really, the trick is to find out what you tolerate and customize your diet for your needs. If you have made bone broth and experienced symptoms from it, make sure you only use marrow bones as described above. If you still have symptoms, try making bone broth without vegetables (like carrots, celery root, leek) and simply use bones, meat and herbs. If you have symptoms, even with those adjustments try making the broth with only meat and herbs (not bones, or vegetables) and see how you do.
You can read more tips and tricks for getting bone broth into your SIBO diet here.
Histamine Intolerance
Histamines develop in bone broth because of the long cooking times. If you suffer from histamine intolerance cooking bone broth for more than 3-5 hours can cause a histamine reaction (depending on your individual symptoms). If you would like to make bone broth with a lower histamine level please use an Instant Pot instead of a crock pot and see the second recipe card below. For bone broth, it is commonly recommend to add an acidic compound like apple cider vinegar in order to help leach nutrients from the bones into the broth. While getting more nutrients from the bones is awesome, most acids are high in histamines, especially vinegars which are aged. Please omit all acids for the first few times you make a lower histamine bone broth to see how you do. Even with omitting vinegar you will still get many helpful nutrients from the bones.
Broths made without vinegars or acids and cooked for shorter periods of time (even in an Instant Pot) are often thinner or a bit more watery. This is just fine!
Beef Marrow Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef marrow bones
- 1 lb beef steak of choice stew meat works wonderfully
- 3 large carrots
- 1/2 medium celery root (aka celeriac)
- 1/2 small leek (green part only) optional
- 3 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 small bunch of thyme
- 3 sprigs of oregano
- 1-2 Tbs oil of choice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Wash and cut the carrots and leek into large pieces. (2-3 inches for the carrots and 3-4 inches for the leek).
- Wash the celeriac and skin the outside to remove the roots. Chop into large pieces.
- Place your bones and vegetables onto a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook for 30 minutes. If you are like me and always forget to thaw your bones, place the bones in the oven for 10 minutes before adding the vegetables.
- In a large skillet, place the oil and turn on high. Once the pan and oil are hot, but not smoking, add the stew meat and braise. If you have never braised meat before your goal is to brown all of the sides but not cook the center of the meat. 30-45 seconds on each side of the meat should get you a nice brown.
- Tie your herb sprigs into a bundle with cooking-safe string.
- Once your vegetables and bones have roasted, pull them out of the oven and put them directly into a crock pot. Add the braised meat and herb bundle into the crockpot with the bones and veggies.
Fill your 6 quart crockpot with water up to about 3/4inch under the rim. Add the bay leaves. Add the apple cider vinegar. Add the salt.
- Cook in your crock pot on low (you should have a little gentle boil after an hour or so).
- Remove the herbs after 4 hours or so, otherwise your broth will turn green from the colors seeping out of the herbs.
- Remove the meat after 6-8 hours if you want to use the meat for other soups, stews, or another recipe.
- I like to remove the veggies after they have gotten soft but are still intact- about 12 hours. Let the bones cook for a total of 12-48 hours. Strain the broth and store in glass jars for up to 1 week in your fridge or freeze the broth if you do not use it right away.
Recipe Notes
Use the broth to drink plain, add it to soups and stew or stir fries, or simmer it until it becomes thick for a gravy. Of course you can use it to make grains as well for other family members or if you are along enough in your journey to tolerate them.
This bone broth is fairly thick and may need to be watered down depending on tolerance.
Bone Broth for Histamine Intolerance
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef marrow bones
- 1 lb beef steak of choice stew meat works wonderfully
- 3 large carrots
- 1/2 celery root
- 1/2 leek (green part only)
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme
- 1-2 Tbs oil of choice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place your bones onto a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook for 30 minutes or until the bones have begun to brown. If you are like me and always forget to thaw your bones, you may need to bake the bones for 45 minutes.
In a large skillet, place the oil and turn on high. Once the pan and oil are hot, but not smoking, add the stew meat and braise. If you have never braised meat before your goal is to brown all of the sides but not cook the center of the meat. 30-45 seconds on each side of the meat should get you a nice brown.
Wash the carrots, leek and herbs. Cut the carrots in half and the green part of the leek just small enough that it will fit into your Instant Pot.
Tie your herb sprigs into a bundle with cooking-safe string.
Once the bones have roasted, pull them out of the oven and put them directly into the Instant Pot. Add the braised meat, raw vegetables, and herb bundle into the Instant Pot with the bones.
Fill your Instant Pot about 3/4 of the way full. Add the bay leaves. Add the salt. (The density of the finished broth will depend on the size of your Instant Pot, and may need to be watered down or adjusted once you know how thick of a broth you tolerate and enjoy.)
Place the lid on your Instant Pot and secure tightly, following the manufacturer's instructions. Set your Instant Pot to "Soup" on low pressure and the time for 180 minutes.
Recipe Notes
If you have histamine intolerance, adding an aged acid like vinegar can be enough to trigger a histamine reaction. Do not use any vinegars. Make your first batch without any additional acids to see how you respond. If you respond well, try adding a squeeze of lemon the next time you make this bone broth.
Use or freeze the bone broth the same day you make it. After 24 hours of refrigeration bone broth (or any leftover cooked food) begins to develop more histamines.
This recipe is lower in histamines than most other bone broth recipes. I have never had the histamine levels tested between traditional bone broth and that made in an Instant Pot, so I cannot guarantee your results. However, as someone who has suffered from SEVERE histamine intolerance, this recipe has worked wonders for me with no reactions. How your body responds will depend on the quality of bones, meat, and vegetables you use, as well as your own body chemistry.
Newly-diagnosed SIBO foodie trying this out tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks!
Hey thanks so much for this recipe. Are lamb bones allowed instead of beef if that’s all I have at the moment?
Yes! Lamb bones are allowed. Bison bones as well as game bones are allowed too. Each kind of bone will have a different flavor.
I a looking for a sibo friendly bone broth recipe that is cooked for a shorter time (in my Instapot) because of histamine intolerance. Would your recipe work in a pressure cooker like this, say for two to three hours?
Best wishes,
Christine
Hi Christine,
I have added a second recipe above for Histamine Intolerance, as well as some notes for decreasing histamines in bone broth. The pressure cooker I use is an Instant Pot. I actually have a batch of this in my Instant Pot right now to use for dinner tonight!
Thank you so very much! This is just what I have been searching for. I love your website.
Christine
How long and at what setting when using an instant pot? I just put my first batch in and the ‘soup/broth’ setting only allows for 4 hours. Thank you so much for your website, this has been a huge relief for me and I’ve used a few of your recipes so far! 😊
Hi Malena,
I am glad my site is helpful for you! For an Instant Pot on the “Soup” setting I usually do 3 hours or (180 minutes) for histamine intolerance. You can do the full 4 hours if you would like a thicker broth or if you do not have histamine issues.
Awesome thank you so much!!
Hi! What are good examples of beef marrow bones to use? I have been making broth with all types of bones & I feel terrible afterwards.
Hi Audra!
I have added some notes above about marrow bones and what to look for at the store. You want to find beef bones that have had the knuckle ends cut off and any ligaments or cartilage removed. The best marrow bones are just the middle of the beef bone and look very clean. This means at both ends of the bone you can see the thin circular bone with a big circle of pink/red marrow inside. These bones are usually 2 inches in diameter and 3 inches in length.
Hi Elena, I’m going to make the low histamine version as I’m suffering SIBO and severe histamine intolerance right now. Three quick questions. What size instant pot are you using? Do you de-pressurize naturally after it’s finished cooking? Also, have you ever made the broth using the pressure cook/manual setting and cooked for a shorter amount of time? I’ve read this could reduce histamine buildup even more.
Hi Elliot,
I use the largest Instant Pot, the 8 quart. I have de-pressurized naturally and released the pressure through the valve and not found a difference in histamine reaction for myself. I have not used the manual setting for bone broth but have cooked the broth for both 120 minutes and the 180 minutes. I like the thickness of the broth at 180 minutes better. If you are worried about the extra time adding histamines you can certainly shorten the time to something that sounds more do-able for your tolerances.
Hi Elena,
Looking forward to making the low histamine version as I have SIBO and severe histamine intolerance as well. Curiously, what size is your instant pot so I can get the 3/4 measurement correct (as a starting point)? Also, are bay leaves fine for the low histamine version?
I have not read anything about bay leaves being high histamine, but have found them in other low histamine recipes. Since your histamine intolerance is severe, I would test them out separately so you can know how your body will respond. My instant pot is 8 quarts. If you use a smaller Instant Pot you will have a thicker broth.
Thanks much Elena!
celery and leeks are listed for elimination on the low-fodmap plan. Are they ok for some reason in the broth?
Thank you! I had no idea I was exacerbating symptoms with my chicken bone broths…
Hi Heather!
Thank you for asking. The green part of the leek is Low FODMAP and is considered safe for SIBO. Celery root also known as celeriac is also low FODMAP while celery stalks are not.
Can I reuse the same beef marrow bones again for next time I make the bone broth, if so upto how many times can I re-use? Thanks
Hi Faiza,
Yes, you can reuse beef marrow bones a second time. I do not recommend it as the more you cook something the more histamines it develops and the SIBO diets are already high histamine.
Elena
I read that cooking the bones for too long in the instant pot (longer that 40 min) actually removed the gelatin. Is this true? Is 180 min what produces the healthiest broth for gut healing? thanks!
Hi Martina!
That’s a great question! I have actually been experimenting with cook time in the instant pot the last few months- mostly because I don’t have tons of time these days and we still make this twice a week, and I’ve been trying to find out what the smallest amount of time is that I can have in the afternoon to get it done before dinner…. all that to say, I’ve tested everything from 50 minutes to 180 minutes and I’m finding the thickest, most gelatinous beef bone broth happens at about 120 minutes on high pressure. At less than an hour my broths are always really watery and I feel like I’m wasting bones. With that, I’d be curious to know if what you read was a scientific article in which scientists are making and testing batches of bone broth???
Elena
I do not have an oven but I do have an instant pot. I want to make the low histamine recipe. Do I need to roast the bones first ?
Hi Emily!
You do not have to roast the bones first- the taste of the bone broth will be very different though, it will have more of a gamey flavor.
Alternatively, you can substitute roasting the bones for braising them instead if they have any flat sides that you can put face down into the pan. Use your sauté function on your instant pot to get the bones hot enough to brown.