Here's Exactly What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Bone Broth Every Day

Emily Laurence
·5 min read

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Soup is the MVP of sick day support. If you’re a parent, there’s a good chance you’ve served many piping hot bowls of chicken noodle to your kiddos over the years and you likely have a favorite soup of your own you make or buy when you’re feeling under the weather.

But soup shouldn’t just be regulated to sick days. In many cultures, bone broth—the byproduct of simmering chicken, beef or fish bones in water for an extended period with other ingredients like vinegar, herbs and vegetables—is consumed year-round for its health benefits and taste. Bone broth can be consumed on its own or used as the base for soups, stews and other meals.

Intrigued? Keep reading to learn about the benefits of bone broth and how drinking it every day can impact the body.

Related: The #1 Change I Noticed When I Ate Chicken Soup Every Day for a Week

What Is Bone Broth Good For and What Are the Benefits of Drinking Bone Broth?

One benefit to drinking bone broth is that it’s good for the gut. “Bone broth is easily digestible and may help to prevent or reduce inflammation in your digestive tract,” says registered dietitian Victoria Whittington, RDN. She explains that the gelatin in bone broth contains glutamic acid, which the body converts to glutamine. This is noteworthy because glutamine supports the proper functioning of the intestinal wall.

“People with digestive issues may benefit from drinking bone broth,” Whittington says. Since broth is liquid, it does this without making the digestive system work too hard to break it down.

Because it's made from animal and fish bones and connective tissue, Alex Caspero, MA, RD, RYT, a registered dietitian and owner of Delish Knowledge, says that bone broth contains protein, calcium and zinc. So drinking bone broth is a good way to get these important nutrients.

Registered dietitian Kim Melton, RD, adds to this, saying, “Bone broth is nutrient-rich and high in minerals, vitamins, fatty acids and amino acids that support many of the systems in your body and may help to strengthen bones and teeth.”

The benefits of bone broth sure sound pretty impressive, but you may still be wondering what exact changes you can expect to experience if you start drinking it every day. According to the dietitians, there are five primary health impacts you may experience if you start incorporating bone broth into your daily diet.

Related: The 11 Best Healthy Canned and Boxed Soups, According to Nutritionists

5 Ways Drinking Bone Broth Every Day Can Impact Your Health

1. You might sleep better

Melton says that drinking bone broth may help improve sleep quality because it contains the amino acid glycine. To this point, scientific research shows that people who consumed glycine before bed reported sleeping better and feeling less fatigued during the day. While certainly, it’s important to get to the root cause of any sleep issues, having bone broth for dinner is worth a shot if you struggle with getting good quality sleep.

Related: Dealing with Insomnia? These 20 Foods Might Help You Finally Get Some Sleep

2. It could lower your risk of some chronic health conditions

Melton says that bone broth is anti-inflammatory, it may help protect against certain chronic health conditions including some forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease. This is due to the nutrients in the bone broth from the bones as well as from the herbs that are added to it. For example, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, bay leaf, thyme and sage are all common herbs added to bone broth and all of these herbs have anti-inflammatory benefits. This is largely because they are high in antioxidants, which help protect against inflammation.

3. Drinking bone broth every day could help protect against arthritis

The gelatin in bone broth supports joint health and helps protect against arthritis. Gelatin supports collagen production and strengthens joint tissue, which is how this nutrient found in bone broth helps protect against arthritis.

4. It could improve your gut health

As the dietitians previously explained, bone broth supports gut health by strengthening intestinal walls. So if you have any digestive issues or are experiencing a “leaky gut,” drinking bone broth regularly could help improve your symptoms. “When bone broth is cooked, collagen from the bones and connective tissue renders down and becomes gelatin. The gelatin and amino acids present in bone broth may benefit people who experience ‘leaky gut’ or who have diseases that irritate or inflame the intestinal tract,” Melton explains.

5. It could help with losing weight in a healthy way

If you have a goal of losing weight in a healthy, sustainable way, adding bone broth into your meal rotation can help. Caspero says that this is because it’s nutrient-rich and contains protein, which makes it satiating, but it’s also low in calories. Of course, it’s still important to get all the recommended nutrients every day and a super low-calorie diet is not advisable for losing weight, so it’s important not to rely solely on bone broth to meet your weight loss goals.

All three dietitians emphasize that bone broth is not a miracle food. It does not have the power to cure diseases or other health conditions on its own. That said, it still does contain many nutrients that are good for the body, so incorporating it into your diet can be beneficial. Bone broth is time-consuming to make, but you can find it at most local grocery stores or online. Below are three bone broths to consider.

3 Bone Broths to Consider Buying

1. Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Bone Broth, $5.91

This organic chicken bone broth is made with shiitake mushrooms and seasoned with black garlic. It can be sipped warm as-is or used as a base for soups, stews and even pasta dishes.

2. Kettle & Fire Turmeric and Ginger Chicken Bone Broth, $29.99 for a 3-pack

The warming spices in this chicken bone broth make it delicious enough to sip on its own. Each container has 22 grams of protein.

3. EPIC Jalapeno and Sea Salt Beef Bone Broth, $46.10 for a 6-pack

Like your bone broth with some kick to it? You’ll love this one, which includes jalapenos, mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme.

Next up, here are eight recipes for making your own bone broth.

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