Why Bone Broth Is Bad for You: Potential Risks (2024)

  • Potential Risks
    • What are the potential risks of bone broth?
  • Bone Broth Protein
    • What is bone broth protein?
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Bone broth has become trendy in modern wellness culture, with many people claiming that it has amazing health benefits. Made by slowly simmering animal bones and flesh for hours, bone broth is purported to be full of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals such as calcium and magnesium

Proponents of bone broth claim that it has health benefits such as:

  • Promoting healthy hair, skin, and nails (due to the collagen content)
  • Reducing joint pain
  • Helping digestion
  • Strengthening the immune system

However, bone broth may not be as nutritious as you may think. Not only is the protein content quite low, but there is also no evidence that the collagen obtained from bone broth actually helps the body in any way.

What are the potential risks of bone broth?

Bone broth, if not prepared with standard manufacturing protocols, may contain heavy metals and harsh chemicals that can harm the body.

Added lead

Lead is a heavy metal that may settle on vegetables and plants grown on lead-contaminated soil, and cattle may graze on such contaminated vegetables or plants. Therefore, there is a danger of lead contamination in several varieties of bone broth, as well as a risk of lead poisoning. Lead is stored in the bones and may leach into the bone broth.

Glutamic acid sensitivity

According to some studies, bone broth may be high in glutamate. Glutamate may cause adverse effects such as anxiety, restlessness, low energy, mental exhaustion, sleeplessness, and concentration problems, although there is no scientific evidence to prove this.

Other side effects

What is bone broth protein?

Bone broth protein is a dietary supplement that claims to provide your body with the health benefits of bone broth and protein in the form of a convenient powder.

It is made by boiling animal bones, ligaments, tendons, and other nutrient-dense animal components under high pressure and continuous heat, then later dried at lower temperatures and concentrated into powder.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that there is no scientific research regarding the effects of either bone broth or bone broth protein. When it comes to overall health, nothing can replace a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

Why Bone Broth Is Bad for You: Potential Risks (2)

QUESTION

According to the USDA, there is no difference between a “portion” and a “serving.” See Answer

References

Essential and toxic metals in animal bone broths: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5533136/

The Surprising Truth About Bone Broth: https://foodrevolution.org/blog/bone-broth-benefits/

Why Bone Broth Is Bad for You: Potential Risks (2024)

FAQs

Why Bone Broth Is Bad for You: Potential Risks? ›

“While bone broth can be a nutritious addition to the diet and is generally considered safe to consume, there are some concerns that should be noted,” Wohlford says. These include the risk of consuming too many heavy metals, which can seep into the broth from the animal bones during the cooking process.

Are there any negative effects of drinking bone broth? ›

According to some studies, bone broth may be high in glutamate. Glutamate may cause adverse effects such as anxiety, restlessness, low energy, mental exhaustion, sleeplessness, and concentration problems, although there is no scientific evidence to prove this.

What does Mayo Clinic say about bone broth? ›

Bone broth is a good choice to include in your diet along with all the other foods that fight inflammation. Organic chicken or beef bone broths (or make your own) have many beneficial nutrients that will help improve bones and joints, along with all the other benefits.

Is bone broth bad for your heart? ›

The authors conclude: “These results suggest that dry-cured ham bones [used in] stews and broths could have a positive impact on cardiovascular health and a possible reduction of high blood pressure for consumers.”

Why does bone broth expose you to lead? ›

However, bones are known to sequester the heavy metal lead, contamination with which is widespread throughout the modern environment. Such sequestered lead can then be mobilised from the bones. We therefore hypothesised that bone broth might carry a risk of being contaminated with lead.

What is the healthiest bone broth to buy? ›

What is the healthiest bone broth on the market? The healthiest bone broth on the market is the Organic bone broth made by Bluebird Provisions because it is the highest protein with 12 grams with 300 mg potassium and no added filler ingredients. It is also low in sodium and tastes absolutely delicious.

How to tell if bone broth is bad? ›

You can tell if bone broth has gone bad for looking at it and smelling it. If you smell anything off or if there is mold growing on your broth then it most certainly is off. A lot of the time these two things are not present, and you are still concerned. In this case you should take a tiny sip and see how it tastes.

What do doctors think of bone broth? ›

While bone broth is generally considered safe to consume, there are some potential risks to be aware of. Lead contamination. Some studies show elevated levels of lead in bone broths, which can be harmful to health if consumed in large amounts.

Is bone broth an inflammatory food? ›

Consuming broth that is high in collagen can help replenish our collagen levels and keep us looking younger for longer. If you're looking to reduce inflammation, bone broth is the answer. It's packed with beneficial amino acids, like glycine and arginine, which have impressive anti-inflammatory properties.

What is healthier than bone broth? ›

Vegetable Broth: Vitamins and Energy

And with all those vitamins yet 0.0 grams of fat and only 55 calories, Freja vegan broth is perfect for a diet focused on nutrient-dense foods. While vegetable broth isn't high in carbs by any means, it does have a few more carbohydrates than bone broth, which is very low in carbs.

Who Cannot drink bone broth? ›

The sodium in bone broth may not be an issue for the average healthy person, Zumpano says, but it could be risky for people who have high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease. Always talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Is bone broth hard on your kidneys? ›

Oxalates: many vegetables contain oxalates (looking at you, spinach!), and the glycine in bone broth can convert to oxalates in the body. There are some people who may have high levels of oxalates in the body, which can bind to calcium and contribute to kidney stones and other symptoms.

Is bone broth hard on your liver? ›

The easiest thing to do is cook a pot of soup. With a protein that heals every cell in your body, and is easy on your liver, it will have you feeling better in no time. You can use a special ingredient to heal your liver with bone broth.

Are there any negatives to bone broth? ›

“While bone broth can be a nutritious addition to the diet and is generally considered safe to consume, there are some concerns that should be noted,” Wohlford says. These include the risk of consuming too many heavy metals, which can seep into the broth from the animal bones during the cooking process.

Which bone broth does not have lead? ›

I recommend Kettle & Fire bone broth as a source of lead-free bone broth.

Why did bone broth make me sick? ›

Why Bone Broth is Bad For You. Broth broth is bad for you if you suffer from something call histamine intolerance. Histamine is a chemical in you that causes an immediate inflammatory reaction when it's threatened. The reaction happens is when your body releases histamine as a response to something in the your meals.

Can I drink bone broth every day? ›

Bone broth is generally safe to drink every day if consumed in moderation and as part of a nutritious, omnivorous diet, says Millstine. If you have any food allergies, always check the label.

How does bone broth affect your gut? ›

Bone broth reduces inflammation in the gut.

Bone broth is believed to reduce inflammation in the digestive system, which can alleviate some discomfort. This is believed to be linked to the soothing effect of the bone broth and its nutrients. Ask your doctor if incorporating bone broth into your diet is right for you.

Is bone broth high in cholesterol? ›

One cup of Swanson's Chicken Bone Broth provides 35 calories, 8 grams protein, <1 gram carbohydrates, <1 gram total sugars, and 350 milligrams sodium. It is free of fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. It also provides 2% of the daily recommended amount of iron and 8% of the daily recommended amount of potassium.

Is grocery store bone broth healthy? ›

The bones used to make commercial broth may contain high levels of heavy metals, which could make their way into the broth. However, homemade or store-bought bone broth levels are very low and unlikely to cause health problems.

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