The best bone broth for you depends on what you’re trying to get out of it. Beef, chicken, and fish bone broths all deliver protein and collagen, but they differ in meaningful ways: the type of collagen they contain, their mineral profiles, how long they take to make, and which specific health benefits they support. A cup of beef bone broth provides roughly 9 grams of protein, and all varieties supply amino acids like glycine and glutamine that play active roles in gut health, inflammation, and sleep.
Beef Bone Broth: Best for Joints and Tendons
Beef bones are dense, heavy, and packed with collagen types I and III. These are the same collagen types found in your skin, tendons, ligaments, and the connective tissue surrounding your joints. If you’re looking for a broth that supports joint recovery or skin elasticity, beef is the strongest option. The marrow inside beef bones also contributes fat-soluble nutrients and gives the broth a rich, hearty body.
The tradeoff is time. Beef bones are so dense that they need a long simmer to release their nutrients. A minimum of 12 hours is typical, and many recipes call for 24 or more. Slow cookers work well here. The longer extraction time yields a broth that gels firmly when refrigerated, which is a reliable sign of high collagen content.
Chicken Bone Broth: Best for Gut Support
Chicken bone broth is the most widely consumed variety, and for good reason. Chicken bones, especially when you include the feet and carcass, are rich in type II collagen. This is the collagen type found in cartilage, and it’s particularly relevant if you’re interested in gut health or have digestive issues.
The amino acid glutamine is especially abundant in chicken broth. Glutamine plays a direct role in maintaining the intestinal lining: it promotes the growth of the cells that line your gut, helps regulate the tight junctions between those cells (which control what passes through the intestinal wall), and reduces inflammatory signaling. It also supports the production of glutathione, your body’s primary built-in antioxidant, which protects gut cells from damage. Chicken broth simmers faster than beef, typically reaching good extraction in 6 to 12 hours.
Fish Bone Broth: Fastest and Richest in Iodine
Fish bone broth is the least common but arguably the most efficient. Fish bones are thin and porous, so they release collagen and minerals in as little as 45 minutes to 2 hours. The collagen from fish is type I, similar to beef, but with smaller molecules that some evidence suggests are more easily absorbed.
The standout benefit of fish broth is iodine, a mineral essential for thyroid function that many people don’t get enough of. If you use the heads and frames of saltwater fish, the iodine content is meaningfully higher than what you’d find in beef or chicken broth. The flavor is lighter and more delicate, which makes it a good base for soups and risottos but less appealing to people who prefer a rich, meaty broth.
How Preparation Changes What You Get
The way you make bone broth matters as much as which bones you use. One of the most impactful steps is adding a splash of vinegar or another acid to the pot. Research published in Food & Nutrition Research found that acidifying the broth (bringing the pH down to about 5.3 with diluted vinegar) increased calcium extraction by an average of 17 times and magnesium extraction by about 15 times compared to broth made without acid. That’s not a small bump. Without acid, bone broth is surprisingly low in minerals despite its reputation.
Importantly, the same study found that acidification did not significantly increase the extraction of lead, chromium, or aluminum. This addresses a common concern about heavy metals in bone broth. While bones do store trace amounts of lead, the levels extracted into broth remain low, and adding vinegar boosts the beneficial minerals without proportionally increasing the toxic ones.
Simmer time also matters. The Cleveland Clinic recommends a minimum of six hours for most broths, with 24 hours producing a higher-quality result for beef and poultry. Fish is the exception: its fragile bones break down quickly, and simmering too long can make it bitter.
Glycine, Sleep, and Inflammation
All bone broths are rich in glycine, an amino acid with benefits that extend well beyond the gut. Glycine at a dose of about 3 grams before bedtime has been shown to improve sleep quality, shorten the time it takes to reach deep sleep, and reduce daytime fatigue and sleepiness. A cup or two of bone broth in the evening can supply a meaningful portion of that amount.
The mechanism involves your body’s internal thermostat. Glycine acts on the brain’s master clock to lower core body temperature, which is one of the signals your body uses to initiate deep sleep. In studies, glycine shortened the time to reach slow-wave sleep by about 18 minutes and nearly doubled the amount of deep sleep in the first 90 minutes after falling asleep. Glycine also acts as an anti-inflammatory compound, which is part of why bone broth has a long folk reputation for recovery during illness.
Choosing the Right Broth for Your Goals
- Joint pain or skin health: Beef bone broth, simmered 12 to 24 hours with a tablespoon of vinegar, provides the most type I and III collagen.
- Digestive issues or leaky gut: Chicken bone broth, especially made with feet and cartilage, delivers type II collagen and glutamine that directly support the intestinal lining.
- Thyroid support or quick preparation: Fish bone broth made from saltwater fish frames offers iodine and fast-absorbing collagen in under 2 hours.
- Better sleep: Any bone broth sipped in the evening supplies glycine. A cup or two before bed is a practical serving.
For store-bought options, look for broths that list bones early in the ingredient list, contain minimal added sodium, and ideally gel when refrigerated. The gelatin that causes this is a direct indicator of collagen content. Powdered bone broth concentrates can pack around 20 grams of protein per scoop, roughly double what you get from a cup of liquid broth, but quality varies widely between brands. If the label doesn’t mention simmer time or the broth is thin and watery at room temperature, you’re likely getting more flavored water than actual bone extract.