The Weird Natural Drink You’re Missing Out On

Source: Madeleine Steinbach/ Shutterstock

Celery juice, dirty lemon water, the cabbage soup diet, and now: bone broth. Drinking bone broth is the latest health craze sweeping the web (or diet fad, depending on how you look at it), and regardless of where you stand, it’s definitely a buzzy term these days. But what exactly does it do and how do you consume it? Allow us to educate you on its many pros.

According to Vital Proteins in-house RD whiz Jenn Randazzo, “Bone broth is a nutritional powerhouse and has been linked to many different wellness benefits like supporting healthy joints, boosting bone health, and even improving digestion,” she explains. And the best part is, this collagen-rich supplement is all natural, which is probably why people are so obsessed.

It’s also relatively easy (and cheap) to make, considering it consists of well, bones, and water with a few other things thrown in. “Although it’s recently become incredibly popular as a health food, it originated during ancestral times when hunter-gatherers turned otherwise inedible animal parts like bones, hooves, and knuckles into a broth they could drink,” she adds. “Combine this with water, vinegar (which actually helps leach the nutrients from the bones into the broth), and some aromatics (think onion, garlic, turmeric) and you’re good to go.” And while there are a bunch of recipes available online, you could always play Martha and just wing it. Randazzo’s tip is to go with high-quality bones, however. “Although the fish or animal base can change (pork, beef, veal, turkey, lamb, and chicken are options), use bones that were grass-fed, pasture raised, and organic, when possible.”

But back to that collagen part… We’re always up for more ways to consume (or apply) collagen to improve our hair, skin, nails, etc. so we’re all ears if we can drink it. “The science behind bone broth is that ingesting high amounts of collagen-rich gelatin increases the collagen level in the body,” says New York dermatologist and RealSelf contributor Dr. Michele Green. “The higher the level of collagen, the firmer the skin and the less visible the fine lines and wrinkles.”

RealSelf contributor Dr. Anthony Youn also points out getting your collagen fix this way is easier than topically. “Collagen applied as a topical may help as a moisturizer, but the collagen molecule is typically too large to actually penetrate the surface of the skin so it just sits on top,” he says. “Ingesting bone broth allows the body to absorb collagen and proteins to improve more than just the skin, so joints may be healthier, in addition to the gut and the skin.”

The only people who can’t benefit from drinking bone broth are vegans or vegetarians, because bones duh, but anyone else can reap the rewards. “I firmly believe that the first place to start if you want to slow down aging and improve your skin, is to eat a healthier diet, says Youn. “This includes reducing inflammation by decreasing the sugar and processed foods you eat, adding antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, adding good anti-inflammatory fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, and even supplementing with skin-friendly foods like bone broth.”

Well, there you have it – go forth and broth away.

How to Use Bone Broth in Your Daily Routine:

• As a base in soups, sauces, and gravies.
• Drink it by itself.
• Ingest in an evening tea.
• “Swap your normal stock or water with bone broth for a nutrient-dense alternative in savory dishes, ranging from soups and stews, to chowders and even smoothies,” says Randazzo.

Where to buy bone broths:

Vital Proteins Collagen Latte, $45:

Sweeten your a.m. routine with this creamy vanilla latte, which contains real Madagascar vanilla beans and is caffeine-free. Made with 10g of bone broth collagen, it’s also loaded with stress-busting ashwagandha extract, skin-saving hyaluronic acid, and energy-boosting MCTs from coconut milk powder.

Bonafide Provisions Organic Chicken Bone Broth, $12.50:

Bonafide Provisions low and slow simmering process allows the nutrients in the bones – collagen, amino acids, and minerals – to break down and release into the water, creating a nutrient-dense broth that turns to gel when it’s cooled. And their organic chicken bone broth is Paleo, Keto, and Whole30-approved, so there’s that.

Fond Bone Broth Youth Tonic, $72 for 6 jars:

With only 35 calories, yet 8 grams of protein per serving, Fond’s glow-inducing broth is the bomb. And since it’s infused with shiitake mushrooms – which contain Kojic acid – it’ll prevent the excess formation of melanin in the skin and the astringent quality of the acid will also make your visage look tighter and brighter.

Check out how collagen changed our skin here. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below! x