SEPTEMBER 26 • 2024 | 89

W

hen Colorado resident 
and Metro Detroit 
native Laya Barak had 
ankle surgery back in 2012, she 
found herself facing devastating 
gastrointestinal issues from the 
many antibiotics she needed. 
Rather than turning to 
potentially dangerous prescription 
medications full of side effects to 
get her immune system back in 
order, she began drinking bone 
broth her mother, Dorothy Barak, 
created. Dorothy Barak, 71, of 
West Bloomfield and a former 
Jewish Family Service executive 
board member, was a quote-
unquote “broth specialist” who had 
perfected her recipe for years.
Laya Barak, now 42, went 

on a liquid diet following the 
surgery and drank bone broth 
religiously. She also incorporated 
anti-inflammatory foods into 
her diet and, within a couple of 
months, found herself in nearly full 
remission. Her symptoms virtually 
gone, she realized that bone broth 
held tremendous health benefits 
and wondered if others could go 
through the same experience.
“We realized that we can start 
a business and help more people 
with any kind of issues,” she recalls. 
“And we had no idea how many 
issues bone broth can help with 
when we started this journey.”
Research shows that bone broth 
can improve gut health, lessen joint 
pain, maintain strong bones and 

muscles, reduce stress and even 
promote healthy skin. Reaping 
these benefits firsthand (and doing 
research themselves), the Baraks 
decided to launch Broth Masters in 
2015.
The direct-to-consumer organic 
bone broth company sells Dorothy 
Barak’s trademark beef and chicken 
bone broth, or stand-alone chicken 
bone broth. The bone broth is 
shipped frozen in insulated boxes 
across the United States and can 
be purchased in different package 
sizes.
The Baraks’ broth is slow-
simmered for 48 hours in their 
Berkley-based commercial kitchen, 
which they recently secured, using 
a secret recipe Dorothy Barak keeps 

close to her heart.
“Every ingredient is mindfully 
selected for its healing or anti-
inflammatory properties,” she 
explains. “Every ingredient is put 
in at a specific time at a specific 
temperature.”

A NATURAL TAKE
Since starting the company nine 
years ago, the Baraks have received 
powerful feedback from customers 
who they say are largely individuals 
looking for holistic wellness 
options.
A woman with gallbladder 
issues, for instance, claims to have 
been able to avoid surgery by 
incorporating bone broth into a 
holistic diet. A young man going 
through chemotherapy couldn’t 
eat solid foods but was able to 
consume liquids like bone broth. 
After starting Broth Masters, 
his mother claimed it was a key 

Jewish Penicillin

FOOD

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Broth Masters offers bone broth as 
functional medicine for a variety of wellness needs.

PHOTOS COURTESY BROTH MASTERS

LEFT: Roasted Winter 
Vegetables with Quinoa 
and Bone Broth. 
BELOW: Dorothy and 
Laya Barak, founders of 
Broth Masters.

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