Bone broth is used primarily as a protein-rich drink for supporting joint health, gut repair, sleep, and general nutrition. A single cup contains 8 to 10 grams of protein along with minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, making it one of the more nutrient-dense liquids you can sip. Its popularity has grown well beyond the kitchen, with people now drinking it as a daily supplement, a fasting aid, and a recovery tool.
Joint Support and Connective Tissue
The main draw of bone broth for joint health is collagen, the protein that gives structure to cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and bones. When you simmer bones for hours, collagen breaks down into gelatin and releases three key amino acids: glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. These amino acids are the raw materials your body uses to maintain and repair connective tissue throughout your joints.
People with osteoarthritis or general joint stiffness often turn to bone broth as a food-based alternative to collagen supplements. The logic is sound: you’re consuming the same building blocks found in supplement capsules, just in liquid form. That said, collagen supplements used in clinical trials deliver a more concentrated dose than a typical cup of broth, so the effects from broth alone are likely milder. Drinking it consistently over weeks matters more than any single serving.
Gut Health and Digestion
Bone broth is rich in glutamine, glycine, proline, histidine, and arginine, amino acids that support cellular repair and help maintain the gut barrier. This barrier is a single layer of cells lining your intestines that controls what passes into your bloodstream. When it’s compromised, a condition sometimes called “leaky gut,” partially digested food and bacteria can slip through and trigger inflammation.
A review published in the European Medical Journal found that the amino acid and mineral content in bone broth has demonstrable effects on the intestinal barrier. The nutrients appear to reduce intestinal permeability and help regulate inflammation, particularly in people with inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers highlighted bone broth as a potential functional food for chronic gut inflammation, noting improvements in both nutrient absorption and the protective mucous layer of the intestines. For people dealing with digestive issues, bone broth is easy on the stomach while delivering nutrients that actively support the tissue doing the work.
Sleep Quality
One of the lesser-known uses for bone broth is as a sleep aid, and the mechanism is surprisingly specific. Glycine, one of the most abundant amino acids in bone broth, helps lower your core body temperature in the evening. That drop in temperature is a signal your body uses to initiate sleep. Glycine also appears to influence circadian rhythms, the internal clock governing your sleep-wake cycle.
Research on glycine supplementation has found that taking it before bed improves sleep quality and reduces daytime fatigue in people who are sleep-deprived. Bone broth contains varying amounts of glycine depending on how it’s made, so a cup in the evening won’t necessarily match the doses used in studies. But as a warm, low-calorie drink before bed, it’s a reasonable choice if you’re looking for something that does more than just fill a mug.
Skin, Hair, and Collagen Production
Collagen is the protein responsible for skin elasticity, and its production naturally declines with age. Some studies show that hydrolyzed collagen, a broken-down form that’s easier to absorb, can improve skin elasticity and hydration while reducing wrinkles. Bone broth is often marketed on this basis.
The catch is that most clinical research showing clear skin benefits used concentrated collagen supplements, not bone broth. Bone broth simply doesn’t contain enough collagen per serving to match those results. It still provides the amino acids your body needs to produce collagen, but if visible skin improvements are your primary goal, a dedicated collagen supplement will deliver a more reliable dose. Think of bone broth as a supporting player here rather than the star.
Fasting and Weight Management
Bone broth has become a staple for people practicing intermittent fasting. At roughly 40 calories per cup with no cholesterol and minimal fat, it’s calorie-light enough that it’s unlikely to spike insulin levels. This makes it suitable for most fasting methods where the goal is to keep insulin low and let the body stay in a fat-burning state. It also provides electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and calcium, which help prevent the headaches and fatigue that often accompany fasting.
Beyond fasting, bone broth works well as a low-calorie, high-protein snack. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, and 8 to 10 grams per cup can help curb hunger between meals without adding much to your daily calorie count.
What’s Actually in a Cup
A typical cup of commercial bone broth contains about 40 calories, 9 to 10 grams of protein, and 240 to 290 milligrams of sodium. It also provides calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, all of which support bone density. By comparison, regular broth or stock contains only 2 to 6 grams of protein per cup, so the distinction matters if you’re drinking it for nutritional purposes. The mineral content varies significantly depending on the bones used, how long they’re simmered, and whether an acid like vinegar is added to help extract minerals.
Making It at Home
Homemade bone broth gives you more control over flavor, concentration, and ingredients. The key variable is cooking time, which directly affects how much collagen and minerals end up in the liquid. Chicken bones need 2 to 5 hours of simmering for a basic stock, while beef bones take 4 to 8 hours. For maximum extraction of collagen, gelatin, and protein, some recipes call for 24 to 25 hours of cooking at a low simmer. Adding a splash of vinegar to the water helps pull calcium and other minerals from the bones.
You’ll know the broth is collagen-rich if it firms up into a gel when refrigerated. That gel is gelatin, and it means you’ve successfully broken down a significant amount of collagen during cooking. If the broth stays liquid in the fridge, it likely cooked for too short a time or used too few bones relative to the water.
Lead and Safety Concerns
Because bones can accumulate heavy metals over an animal’s lifetime, lead content in bone broth has drawn some scrutiny. A frequently cited study found that chicken bone broth contained about 7 micrograms of lead per liter, while broth made from skin and cartilage (without bones) measured around 9.5 micrograms per liter. Plain tap water used as a control measured 0.89 micrograms per liter.
These numbers are worth putting in context. The EPA’s safety threshold for lead in drinking water is 15 micrograms per liter. Every sample in that study fell well below that limit. Bone broth does contain more lead than plain water, but the concentrations are low enough that moderate consumption, a cup or two a day, is not considered a meaningful risk for most people. If you’re concerned, using bones from pasture-raised animals and shorter cooking times can reduce lead extraction.