Gwyneth Paltrow references her long covid when she responds to Bone Broth Backlash

A number of people had bone broth to choose from after actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow said, “I have a lot of bone broth for lunch,” on a recent podcast. They expressed concern that such a statement suggesting that Paltrow only has bone broth for lunch could promote malnutrition, malnutrition and eating disorders in those who follow her. Well, on March 17, Paltrow responded to such criticism by taking a lengthy Instagram story to explain why she said what she said. Paltrow shared that “I’ve been dealing with some chronic stuff for over two years now, and I’ve had Covid for a long time” and “the way it manifests for me is very high levels of inflammation over time, so i talked to dr. Cole worked together to really focus on food that isn’t inflammatory. So lots of veggies, cooked veggies, all kinds of protein, healthy carbs to really reduce inflammation and it works really well.

The dr. Cole whom Paltrow was referring to is Will Cole, DC, DNM, who is not a doctor. He is also not a registered dietitian. Rather, as Cole points out on his website, he is a “Functional Medicine Practitioner (IFMCP), Doctor of Natural Medicine (DNM), and Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)” and therefore provides the following disclaimer: “I do not practice medicine and do no diagnosis or treatment of diseases or medical conditions.” His website adds, “My services are not intended to replace or replace those of a doctor, but my programs are intended to work in tandem with them.” it affected an estimated 7.5% of all Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which included an estimated 9.4% of women and 5.5% of men.

Pop culture site Pop desire posted clips of both Paltrow’s Instagram comment and a TikTok video of her original statements to “The Art of Being Well” podcast hosted by Cole:

As you can see in the video, Paltrow emphasized in her Instagram response that her statements on the podcast about her diet “were not meant to be advice for anyone else. It’s really just what has worked for me, and it’s been very powerful and very positive. She continued, “This isn’t to say I eat this way all day every day.” She added, “I have a lot more than bone broth and vegetables, by the way. I eat full meals. And I also have a lot of days where I eat whatever I want and eat french fries and whatever. She concluded by saying, “But my baseline has really been to try to be healthy and eat foods that will really calm the system down.” So I hope that helps.”

That clarification might help anyone who got the impression from Paltrow’s original statements that it’s somehow OK to just have bone broth or coffee before a meal. During the podcast, she had said things like, “I do a nice intermittent fast. I usually eat something around 12,” and, “In the morning, I have some things that don’t raise my blood sugar…like coffee.” as well as, “I really like soup for lunch. I have bone broth for lunch a lot of the days.

Bone broth, made by simmering animal bones in a pot of water and vinegar, can contain vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin K2, calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. It may also contain cartilage components such as glucosamine and chondroitin. So it’s not necessarily a bad thing to sip or drink. But like a thong for a job interview, bone broth alone isn’t enough for a meal. Coffee alone can be even worse before a meal because it doesn’t provide the same nutrients as a bone broth and contains caffeine, which is a diuretic, meaning you need to urinate more.

It would have been better for Cole or Paltrow to make it clear right away during the podcast that she wasn’t recommending people just take bone broth, coffee, or just any kind of liquid before meals. The key to maintaining good health and an appropriate body weight is a balanced, sustainable diet and not taking drastic, strenuous steps. The most appropriate diet for one person may not be the most appropriate diet for you or others. That is why the concept of precision nutrition was born, which I described on August 15, 2022 for Forbes. The idea is that different people’s bodies, environment, and circumstances are different. So one-size-fits-all diets and nutritional recommendations don’t really work. Instead, nutritional advice should be more tailored to different individuals.

Without knowing the actual medical test results and findings of Paltrow’s physical exam, it’s hard to say if Cole’s guidance really worked. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines long Covid, also known as Post COVID-19 condition, as “The continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms persisting for at least 2 months. without any other explanation.” SARS-CoV-2 stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), you know that virus that caused the Covid-19 pandemic that some people try to ignore. Common long Covid symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, persistent cough, chest pain difficulty speaking, muscle aches, loss of smell or taste, depression, anxiety and fever. There haven’t been enough studies yet to determine which treatments actually work against long Covid and how long Covid can last.

Eating lots of vegetables is reasonable advice, regardless of whether you have had Covid for a long time. Many vegetables are naturally high in fiber and nutrients, while being relatively low in sodium and saturated fats. However, the emphasis here is on the word fate. A single string bean is not a meal.

The statements about bone broth and coffee certainly weren’t the only questionable things said in “The Art of Being Well” podcast. I’ve already covered for it Forbes the “buts” that should have been added after Paltrow filed a rectal ozone therapy claim and her rule about IV therapy on the podcast. Throughout the podcast, Cole did not appear to question the medical validity of such claims or provide any real concrete scientific evidence to support them.