Growing up with a wellness-obsessed mom has taught me a lot about what I’m consuming on a daily basis. Case in point: the stomach ache I had yesterday was likely because I didn’t eat enough fiber. Or the cough I’m developing today is probably because I skipped my daily vitamin C and D. (At least, this is what she would tell me.) But the strangest (yet probably the least exaggerated) wellness hack my mom has taught me is drinking bone broth every day for its array of nutrients and health benefits — and she’s right. (Despite my refusing to drink it for years).
I know what you’re thinking: bone broth? Don’t you mean soup broth? Like, chicken or vegetable? Unfortunately, no. To put it bluntly, I mean literal animal bones that you boil and simmer until they’re a broth (Which is similar enough to soup broth, right?) An anti-inflammatory that promotes gut health and provides a good source of amino acids like glycine and glutamine, bone broth is not just good for your physical health, but can enrich your mental health, too, says Registered Dietitian and Lead Nutritional Coach at POP Recover Systems, Melanie Crum.
So, naturally I was convinced by everyone but my mom to drink bone broth once a day, for a week, to see if I could notice these health benefits in action — and I’ll be honest when I say the effects were minimal, but they were there (Cue my mom saying “I told you so”). Here’s everything that happened.
Day 1 & 2:
The first couple of days of drinking bone broth in the morning felt a little too much like drinking a cup of tea or coffee — and I’m still unsure how to feel about it. While it was certainly warm and comforting, I don’t think anything can replace the moment the coffee-caffeine high hits me.
While bone broth doesn’t provide caffeine, it does help reduce stress during the day, says Crum. “Mentally, drinking warm bone broth can be calming and soothing, like a cup of tea,” she says. “It may help reduce stress and support gut health, which is linked to mood and brain function.”
I would drink a cup around eight or nine in the morning, just before I left for work. My job can be quite stressful, and I did notice feeling less stressed and a lot less anxious throughout the day (but whether that’s related to my skipped cup of coffee is unclear). I also tend to get overstimulated fairly easily, but after drinking a cup of bone broth, it felt a lot harder to reach that point. (Again, could be just as related to the lack of caffeine).
But making the bone broth was just as easy as making a cup of good ol’ coffee (at least, for me). As a university student with a full-time job, a part-time job, a summer school course, a social life, and living away from my mom, there was no way I was about to spend 12-24 hours babysitting my non-existent slow cooker to make homemade bone broth.
So, I visited my local grocery store and picked the bone broth that, you guessed it, looked the simplest to make (and I have no shame). Besides, as long as you pick a good brand and read the ingredients, buying it premade can be just as effective as making it at home, says Crum.
“Store-bought bone broth is faster and easier, but not all brands are the same,” Crum says. “Some are watered down or have added sugars and sodium, so it’s important to read the label.”
Crum adds, “Look for bone broth with simple ingredients, no added sugar, and low sodium. The shorter the ingredient list, the better. Avoid brands with artificial flavors or preservatives.”
If I could make it, I totally would. Although it’s a lengthy process, I do find that my mom’s homemade broth tasted much better than the store-bought one I got, and it was packed with extra veggies and leftovers we had lying around.
Day 3 & 4:
The next couple of days, I decided to drink a cup of bone broth during lunchtime, a few hours after my morning coffee. I mostly wanted to try and see if it was the caffeine making the mental difference, or if it really was the bone broth. To my surprise, I still felt a lot less anxious and stressed. I did still find that my overstimulation was easily triggered, but you can’t have everything, can you?
But according to Crum, there’s no perfect time to drink your cup of bone broth during the day — instead, “it depends on your goals.” “Some people like it in the morning as a warm, healthy start to the day. Others drink it before bed to help them relax and support overnight healing,” she says.
For me, this was really just an experiment to see how I felt day-to-day in a general sense. For those of you looking for a specific health outcome, whether it be for its source of collagen for stronger hair, skin, and nails, its source of minerals (like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) for improved bone health and cellular function, or simply for something like healthier digestion — it’s better you be more calculative when it comes to the time you’re choosing to drink your bone broth.
If you’re looking for uninterrupted sleep, it’s better to obviously drink it before bed, for example. Or “if you’re using it to help your stomach, try drinking it between meals,” says Crum.
And it’s important to note, too, that when it comes to making bone broth at home or buying it at the store, the ingredients do matter when you’re looking for direct effects. Making it at home, for example, lets you be in control of exactly how many nutrients are being extracted.
“To make bone broth, you simmer bones (like chicken, beef, or turkey) with water, vegetables, and herbs for a long time, usually 12 to 24 hours, ” says Crum. “Use a mix of bones with some meat still on them, like chicken backs, beef knuckles, or turkey legs. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery, herbs, and a splash of vinegar to help break down the bones: This helps pull out the nutrients.”
So, if you’re looking to target a specific deficiency, irregularity, or dysfunction of some sort, it’s important to educate yourself on the best ingredients and times during the day to drink bone broth that work for you. I’m just here for fun (and to tell you if it works or not.)
Day 4 – 7:
These were probably the hardest days if I’m going to be honest. I never really liked the taste of bone broth to begin with, but let me tell you that having it homemade is so much better than having it store-bought. (The one I bought tasted like absolute dog food.)
So, because I didn’t like the taste, it was only natural that I became a bit less motivated every day to drink it. And don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean it will happen to you! Honestly, I’m just going to keep trying different brands until I find one I like or I have the time to actually make it for myself (or when my mom does, wink).
But you can make homemade bone broth, and even a premade bone broth, taste better without reducing its health benefits, says Crum.
“Try adding fresh herbs like parsley or thyme, garlic, ginger, or lemon juice. A splash of apple cider vinegar can bring out flavor and help pull minerals from the bones,” says Crum. “Store-bought flavored broths like lemon ginger are fine too, just check the label for low sodium and no added sugar or fake ingredients.”
The last few days of drinking bone broth, I decided to drink it at night before bed. And let me tell you that those were some of the best sleeps of my life. I can be a pretty light sleeper, so even the tiniest gust of wind could wake me up from my slumber — but not this week. Because bone broth contains amino acids (glycine and glutamine), it promotes a more restorative sleep by, like I mentioned before, allowing you to relax and relieve any stress and anxiety that might keep you up at night.
WHat’s the verdict?
So, bone broth — who would’ve thought? Although I noticed minimal effects after drinking it for a week, I’m still quite impressed, especially considering I noticed these differences in such a short amount of time.
If you’re someone who’s looking to improve your acne, strengthen your immune system, or thicken your hair, for example, I would suggest investing more time in drinking it so you can truly focus on your goals and notice these changes and improvements.
It’s definitely not an easy feat, but it will be worth your time and money (and maybe your taste buds) — just ask my mom!