Meat Stock Vs. Bone Broth

​Meat Stock Vs. Bone Broth

There is often much confusion when talking about bone broth and meat stock. They are both very different and this needs to be discussed specifically for someone on the GAPS diet or considering starting it. The important take-home message from this post is: we do meat stock on the GAPS Introduction Diet and can do it on Full GAPS diet, until we see significant healing in the gut. It is not until that point that we see much healing that, later down the road, we can introduce bone broth.

What is Bone Broth?

Bone broth is made with bones and either little to no meat and is usually cooked for a much longer period around 24 hours. The longer cooking time for bone broth results in extracting more nutrients from the bone and tissues. Bone broth has a higher amino acid profile and is high in glutamic acid. Due to these high levels, this can cause a strong detoxification or die-off reaction. With the longer cooking times and nutrient content, bone broth is also much higher in histamines. For the GAPS patient with a leaky gut that is not yet healed, this can cause a lot of issues. This is why it is important to introduce bone broth much later on in the diet. Each person is different in their healing journey in deciding when the appropriate time is to introduce bone broth into the diet.

What is Meat Stock?

Meat stock is made using meaty bones and is cooked for a much shorter period of time around one and a half hours up to a maximum of three hours. Meat stock is very gentle on the digestive system. We still cook meat stock with bones, but the major difference is we are using "meaty bones". These are bones with joints and meaty, gelatinous fatty tissues that get added back into our stock. It is full of collagen, gelatin, connective tissues and amino acids that are the essential building blocks to quickly heal and seal the gut lining. Meat stock can be used as a drink, to make soups, stews, and as the base for cooking other meals. We do not introduce Bone Broth until the gut lining has been healed and sealed. Meat stock is recommended for those on the Introduction Diet and many continue it on the Full GAPS Diet while they are still healing.

Conclusion:

Meat stock plays an essential role for the GAPS patient. Meat stock is literally the "glue" that seals the gut lining. It is full of wonderful nutrients that our digestive lining is made up of. It is very gentle and soothing to an irritated gut . Meat stock and bone broth are both very powerful healing agents. It is important to understand the difference between both as they both serve purposes during different times! If you have any questions on this, please feel free to reach out!