Is Bone Broth a Good Source of Collagen?

Bone broth is often recommended as the single best source of collagen. But is that true? Let’s find out If you’re like me. When you first heard all the hype about collagen supplements, maybe you thought, well, why can’t I just get all the collagen that I need through food? What about bone broth? In this video, we’re gonna deep dive into bone broth specifically since so many people recommend it. So bone broth is usually made by simmering bones, water, and some kind of acid like vinegar or apple cider vinegar. It’s so delicious and comforting, especially in the winter, and it is an excellent source of nutrients. But general health aside, is it really the best source of collagen? I’d say not really. Here are three reasons why. The first is that all bone broth is made so different. So whether it’s commercial or homemade varieties, it’s also different, which means that there’s inconsistencies in what it can deliver. There’s different cooking methods, different length of cooking time, and different added ingredients. And because of that, it’s unlikely to provide a consistent and reliable concentration of key amino acids that are necessary for collagen production. And even though bone broth can provide collagen precursors, so it can provide amino acids because there’s so much variability in how it’s prepared, there’s going to be variability in the amino acid content that it delivers. The second is the dose. If you’re looking to stimulate collagen production, clinical research shows you need at least two to two and a half grams a day of very specific collagen peptides to show significant improvements in skin health, for example. So it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to obtain that clinical dose with bone broth alone unless you’re consuming it every single day, which is usually not the case. And even if you are consuming it every single day, I still don’t think that it’s the best source of collagen because of the inconsistencies that we talked about earlier. And the third reason, which is protein breakdown. So what do I mean by that? Well, when we ingest bone broth or any other protein rich foods, these proteins are going to be broken down during the digestive process into various amino acids and peptides. And our bodies are going to be using them for various functions, including but not limited to collagen production. So this means that even though bone broth is a decent source of protein, it’s not fully utilized to make collagen. I can’t help but mention collagen supplements here because you might be thinking, well, hang on. Aren’t collagen supplements the exact same? Don’t they just get broken down the same way that protein does? And the answer is no. Supplements are not the same. Collagen peptide supplements are functional ingredients. They have a very specific amino acid composition, and they’re actually designed to survive the digestive process and can act as signaling molecules. They can signal your fibroblast cells to start producing more collagen, so they’re much more fully utilized to make collagen in the body compared to bone broth. So is bone broth a good source of collagen? I’d say bone broth is a great source of nutrients including the building blocks to make collagen. And if you enjoy eating it, go for it. But if you’re specifically looking to encourage your cells to produce more collagen, bone broth is often overhyped and likely is not going to give you the benefits that you’re looking for. Now, if you’re interested in learning more about how collagen supplements can help, check out the link in the description down below.