BONE BROTH

Chicken bone broth.
Bone broth is rich in essential nutrients like protein and collagen as well as vitamins and minerals that keep you healthy. But the science is still out as to whether it’s really the “liquid miracle” that some claim.
Photograph by Rebecca Hale, National Geographic

Is bone broth really a ‘liquid miracle’? Here’s what science says

Can bone broth really relieve joint pain, improve gut health, and improve your skin? We asked the experts what they think.

By Stacey Colino
December 26, 2024 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Bone broth is having an extended moment in the dietary limelight. Often called “the liquid miracle” or “liquid gold” on social media, bone broth
 supposedly relieves joint pain, improves gut health, promotes skin elasticity, and more. It’s a staple in the paleo and keto diets, and you can now buy bone broth supplements (in capsule or powdered form). Bone broth is even popping up in high-end pet foods.

Trendiness aside, does bone broth deserve all the hype? The answer depends on what health benefits you’re looking for—and what you make of the scientific evidence that’s beginning to trickle in.

“Bone broth has seamlessly blended ancient tradition with modern values,” says food scientist Kantha Shelke, founder and principal at Corvus Blue LLC, a food science and consumer packaged goods development firm and a member of the Institute of Food Technologists. “For millennia, this boiled essence of bones has been a staple in traditional diets worldwide [and] revered for its nourishing and healing properties.”

(Chicken soup? Tea? Here’s what to feed your body when it’s sick.)

That said, many of the modern benefits attributed to bone broth are theoretical rather than backed by scientific evidence, and most of the studies on the health benefits focus on isolated ingredients inside bone broth. “I think it has more of a health halo than it deserves,” says Abbie Gellman, a registered dietitian and chef based in New York City. “Everyone wants a magic bullet or superfood. To me, it’s fruits and vegetables, not bone broth.”

But some claims are supported by science. In recent years, research in animals has shown that bone broth has anti-inflammatory properties that decrease symptoms of ulcerative colitis. And a study in a 2024 issue of the Journal of Food Science found that the hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate in chicken-vegetable bone broth slowed osteoporosis progression in lab-based experiments.

What does that all mean for your health? Here’s what we’re learning.

What exactly is bone broth?

Bone broth is a special form of stock that’s made by simmering beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, or pork bones in water for 12 to 24 hours. The resulting liquid is rich in collagen and protein, as well as micronutrients.

These nutrients are vital to your health. Collagen provides structure, support, or strength to the skin, muscles, bones, and connective tissues, while protein is crucial for building and repairing muscles, skin, and other tissues, as well as promoting immune system function, blood pressure regulation, bone health, satiety, and weight management.

(How much protein do you actually need? Consider these factors.)

“The longer you boil the bones and keep them in the broth, the more protein and collagen you’re going to get from the bones,” says Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Center for Human Nutrition at The Cleveland Clinic.

As far as micronutrients go, bone broth contains amino acids (which are building blocks of proteins), as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, vitamin A, and some B vitamins, Zumpano says.

All these minerals and vitamins are important for your health, as well as various bodily functions—although you may get these nutrients in varying amounts, depending on the bone broth you consume. “It depends what else you’re boiling with the broth—herbs, seasonings, or vegetables to enhance flavor—as well as the type of bones and how long you cook it,” she adds.

Bone broth is also low in calories—usually 50 to 80 calories per serving, most of which is protein, Gellman says.

The potential health benefits of bone broth

There’s reason to believe consuming bone broth could help with gut health and the gut microbiome by protecting the gut barrier and promoting better intestinal integrity, experts say. “The lining of your gut helps with digestion and over time, the lining can weaken and lead to leaky gut syndrome,” says Zumpano. What’s more, regular consumption of bone broth can be soothing to an upset stomach, and it can be helpful for inflammation, she adds.

Some of the minerals in bone broth—such as magnesium, iron, and selenium—may help promote immune function, alongside its amino acids such as arginine and glutamate. “If it’s wintertime and you want to support your immune health, this would be helpful,” Gellman says. 

What’s more, consuming bone broth “can help with muscle cramping because of the electrolytes it contains, as well as nerve and muscle function,” Zumpano adds. “And it can help with joint pain. As you age, your joints lose elasticity. The collagen in bone broth helps restore some of that elasticity.”

But there is some question as to how much the collagen from bone broth actually helps restore collagen in the body. “Bone broth is naturally rich in collagen [but] scientific evidence is limited on collagen consumption directly boosting the body’s own collagen production,” Shelke says.

(Do collagen supplements really work?)

In fact, in a study in a 2019 issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, researchers analyzed commercially and laboratory-prepared samples of bone broth and found that bone broth is unlikely to provide sufficient concentrations of collagen precursors—in the form of specific amino acids—to support the synthesis of collagen in various tissues of the human body.

Despite these caveats, consuming bone broth falls into the can’t-hurt-and-might-help category. “There isn’t anyone who wouldn’t benefit from it, given that most of us are fighting some form of inflammation,” Zumpano says.

How to make or buy the healthiest bone broth

You can make bone broth yourself at home in a slow cooker or on the stove. “The trick is to make sure it’s cooked for a really long time so all of the collagen soaks out of the bones,” says Gellman. “It should be gelatinous when you put it in the fridge. Otherwise, it’s just stock.”

Or, you can purchase packaged bone broth—just make sure the elixir was cooked with bones for at least six hours; otherwise, it’s also just stock. (Brodo and Butcher’s Bone Broth are reliable brands, according to Gellman and Zumpano.) Some commercial versions may be high in sodium so keep that in mind if you’re limiting your sodium intake because you have hypertension or kidney disease, Gellman advises.  

Wherever and however it’s made, bone broth can be heated and sipped instead of hot tea or incorporated into soups, stews, or other dishes. “It saves very well—you can refrigerate it or freeze it,” Zumpano says.

Believe it or not, bone broth may be good for the planet too. “It’s a great way to transform would-be discarded animal skeletal parts into a nutrient-rich, wholesome product,” says Shelke, which is why “bone broth resonates with those seeking both wellness and environmental responsibility.”

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I would like to think of myself as a full time traveler. I have been retired since 2006 and in that time have traveled every winter for four to seven months. The months that I am "home", are often also spent on the road, hiking or kayaking. I hope to present a website that describes my travel along with my hiking and sea kayaking experiences.
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