Is bone broth a health and beauty booster? Plus, a recipe
03.11.2026
Bone broth is said to be a source of energy, boosting your immune system and providing you with a slew minerals.
It has also been touted as a beauty remedy - how far is that true?
Making broth involves simmering bones for hours until you make a stock. During that process, some say the nutrients in the bones – collagen and minerals – are released into the stock.
That claim sounds promising as we hear a lot about the role of collagen in the beauty industry. But is it true?
During the cooking process, the collagen breaks down into gelatine and amino acids, says Germany's Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE).
Whether your body can then rebuild collagen from this depends on many factors. However, it is highly unlikely that the collagen from the bones would reappear in your body in any significant quantities. Nor do any studies back this idea.
Long a trusted tonic
Beauty aside, people say bone broth offers a multitude of health benefits. Decades ago, people used it as a tonic for colds or to rebuild women's strength after they gave birth.
Some evidence suggests that chicken stock might have a positive influence on certain markers but the perceived positive effect when you have a cold could also be due to the rising steam from the soup and warming liquid.
The content of minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the stock is negligible, amounting to less than 5% of your daily requirement per portion.
In summary, the research says broth does nto live up to the claims about it. But it does have a rich flavour and enjoying it can do you good.
Make your own broth
Making broth at home requires boiling the bones for hours. That can be anywhere between three to more than 24 hours depending on the recipe.
- First, roast the bones thoroughly in a pan or in the oven and then heat them briefly just below boiling point with plenty of water and a little apple cider vinegar, says the BZfE.
- Leave the soup to simmer with the other ingredients for several hours. Add meat, vegetables, spices and herbs, depending on the recipe and your personal preferences. Onions, soup vegetables, as well as cloves, allspice, bay leaves, garlic or parsley all work well in a broth.
- Last, season the stock to taste with a little iodised salt.
Ready-made stock may contain a lot of salt
When it comes to ready-made products, experts advise paying attention to the salt content. This can sometimes be very high. Some products contain just under three grams of salt per portion, roughly half the recommended maximum daily intake.
Bear in mind that the origin of the bones is usually unclear. The good thing about a soup you make yourself is that you know exactly what goes into it.
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