Is Bone Broth Really Good for You?

Bone broth is a stock that has gained popularity in recent years for its perceived health benefits. Bone broth is made by simmering animal bones—such as beef, turkey, and chicken bones—and can be cooked at home or bought in the store.

While you may hear countless claims about bone broth's health and wellness benefits, evidence-based research on its effectiveness in preventing illness or promoting health is limited. Nonetheless, with appropriate nutrition advice, bone broth may provide important nutrients like amino acids and minerals as part of a varied and well-balanced diet.

This article discusses the potential health benefits of bone broth, how it’s made, and tips for incorporating it into your diet.

Health Benefits of Bone Broth

Bone broth provides important nutrients like protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. How much of these nutrients can actually be gained from drinking a serving of bone broth may depend on the cooking method and the types of bones used.

Amino Acids

Research supports that bone broth can provide vital amino acids, which are important for building proteins and other important compounds in the body. How much of any given amino acid is in a serving of bone broth may depend on the animal from which the bones came.

For example, a study that looked at several different samples of store-bought beef, turkey, and chicken bone broth found that turkey bone broth contained the highest concentration of the amino acids they analyzed. 

Though bone broth does show that animal bones can be a source of amino acids, research has shown that the amount of amino acids gained from bones may not be significantly different from that of other parts of the animal. Nonetheless, whether you eat the meat or drink broth made from the animal's bones, you get some amino acids.

Minerals

Bone broth has been largely touted for being a source of important minerals. For example, many people think of bone broth for its calcium content, which may seem obvious because calcium is a major component of bones and is vital to bone health. Other minerals that bone broth may provide include:

• Iron
• Magnesium
• Zinc 
• Copper

However, despite health claims about the high mineral content of bone broth, there is limited research to support these claims, and estimates of its mineral content vary.

For example, one study found that, per serving, bone broth generally provided less than 5% of the daily recommended levels for calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper, with the exception of bovine bone broth, which provided 16% of the daily recommended intake for iron. 

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a food must provide between 10% and 19% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) or daily reference value (DRV) per standard serving to be considered a “good source” of a nutrient. 

A different study found that 100 grams (about half a cup) of concentrated beef bone broth provided 8.5% and 21.2% of the World Health Organization (WHO)–recommended daily values for calcium and magnesium, respectively. 

More research is necessary to determine whether and how much bone broth can be relied on as a good source of important minerals. Yet even small amounts of these minerals can count toward the mineral makeup of a varied and balanced diet.

Gut Health

Drinking a cup of warm broth may be soothing on the stomach for some people, which may be seen as a benefit in and of itself. In addition, certain nutrients in bone broth have been posited as promoting gut health, but more research is necessary to scientifically assess the effect that bone broth may have on the digestive system. 

For example, you may hear that glutamine—an amino acid found in bone broth—contributes to gut health. Research has shown that glutamine supplementation helps maintain or improve gut health in key ways, including:

• Keeping the gut microbiome balanced
• Helping to keep the intestinal lining intact
• Reducing inflammation in the gut

You may also hear these benefits in the context of certain gastrointestinal conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome or leaky gut syndrome (which is a theory about an intestinal condition, not necessarily a recognized diagnosable condition). But more research is necessary on whether bone broth provides enough glutamine to benefit health.

Suppose you’re looking for ways to promote gut health with or without an existing gastrointestinal condition. In that case, it’s best to consult a healthcare provider to ensure you get appropriate nutrition advice based on your health history and dietary needs.

Sources of Protein and Nutrition Breakdown

The protein found in bone broth usually comes from collagen, a type of protein found in bones, tendons, and ligaments. Collagen is not a complete protein, meaning it doesn’t contain all the essential amino acids to make a complete protein. Yet bone broth can be a good source of protein when consumed as part of a varied diet. 

The nutrition profile of bone broth will differ based on the ingredients and animal bones from which it is made. Read the nutrition facts label of bone broth to know the exact nutritional breakdown. 

Here’s an example of the nutrition breakdown of a serving of bone broth (approximately 1 cup): 

• Calories: 79
• Protein: 10 grams
• Fat: 0.5 grams
• Carbohydrates: 5 grams
• Iron: 0.4 milligrams (2% daily value)
• Sodium: 451 milligrams (19% daily value)

What Are the Risks of Drinking Bone Broth?

Though animal bones may provide important minerals, they are also known to contain small amounts of toxic metals like lead and cadmium, leading to some concern about the amount of toxic metals in bone broth. 

Limited research has investigated the risk of ingesting toxic metals when consuming bone broth, and more research is necessary on the risks of consuming bone broth frequently, or as part of an everyday diet. Yet recent research has shown that amounts of lead and cadmium, two metals of concern, in commercial bone broth/soup are very small (a few micrograms per serving) and thus pose minimal risk. Be sure to check with a healthcare provider or nutritionist about any risks before adding a large quantity of bone broth to your diet.

Summary

Bone broth has gained popularity as a nutrient-rich beverage with many health benefits. Scientific evidence to support many health claims around bone broth is lacking, yet bone broth may contribute important nutrients as part of a varied and well-balanced diet.