Bone Broth Benefits: Why Your Grandmother Was Right

Bone broth is having a modern revival, but it’s not a trend. Every traditional food culture, from Chinese medicine to French cuisine to Korean gomtang, has used slow-simmered bones as a foundation for health and cooking. Your grandmother (and her grandmother) made bone broth not because it was fashionable, but because it worked.

Modern science is now confirming what traditional cultures knew intuitively: bone broth provides a concentrated source of collagen, gelatin, amino acids, and minerals that support multiple body systems.

What’s Actually in Bone Broth?

When you simmer bones for 12 to 24 hours, the heat breaks down the connective tissue, cartilage, and marrow into their component parts:

Collagen and Gelatin

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It provides structure to skin, bones, joints, tendons, and the gut lining. When heated in water, collagen converts to gelatin, which gives bone broth its characteristic jiggly texture when refrigerated.

The amino acids in collagen (primarily glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) are precursors your body needs to synthesize its own collagen. This is why bone broth is associated with skin, joint, and gut benefits.

Glycine

An amino acid with calming, anti-inflammatory properties. Glycine supports liver detoxification, improves sleep quality, and helps regulate the immune system. A single cup of bone broth provides 2 to 3 grams of glycine.

Glutamine

The primary fuel source for the cells that line your gut wall (enterocytes). Glutamine supports gut barrier integrity, which is why bone broth is recommended for gut healing protocols. The gut-skin connection makes this relevant for skin health too.

Minerals

Bones are mineral-rich. Slow simmering extracts calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and trace minerals into the broth. Adding a splash of vinegar during cooking helps extract more minerals from the bones.

Hyaluronic Acid

Found in the cartilage and connective tissue of bones. Hyaluronic acid supports joint lubrication and skin hydration. It’s the same ingredient found in many Korean skincare products, delivered here through food.

The Evidence-Based Benefits

Gut Health

Gelatin coats the lining of the digestive tract and may help seal small gaps in the gut wall (“leaky gut”). Research published in Current Medicinal Chemistry found that glycine and glutamine both support intestinal barrier function.

For the deeper dive on how gut health connects to collagen, see our bone broth and gut health guide.

Joint Support

A 2016 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that collagen supplementation reduced activity-related joint pain in athletes. Bone broth provides collagen in its most natural, bioavailable form, alongside the synergistic nutrients that support its absorption.

Skin Elasticity

Multiple studies have shown that oral collagen supplementation improves skin elasticity, hydration, and wrinkle depth. A 2019 meta-analysis in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology confirmed significant improvements in skin elasticity and hydration with collagen peptide supplementation.

Bone broth provides collagen alongside vitamin C cofactors and minerals that support collagen synthesis.

Sleep Quality

Glycine has been shown to improve sleep quality. A study in Neuropsychopharmacology found that 3 grams of glycine before bed improved subjective sleep quality, reduced daytime sleepiness, and improved cognitive function the next day. One to two cups of bone broth in the evening provides roughly this amount.

Immune Support

Traditional cultures have used bone broth (chicken soup, specifically) as medicine for respiratory illness for centuries. Modern research confirms that chicken bone broth has anti-inflammatory effects on the upper respiratory tract.

How to Make Bone Broth

Ingredients

2 to 3 pounds of bones (chicken, beef, or a mix)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Water to cover

Instructions

Roast the bones (optional, for flavor). Place bones on a baking sheet and roast at 400F/200C for 30 minutes until browned.
Add to pot. Place bones in a large stockpot or slow cooker. Add vinegar and vegetables. Cover with cold water by 2 inches.
Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the surface during the first hour.
Cook time. Chicken: 12 to 16 hours. Beef: 18 to 24 hours. Longer is better for mineral and collagen extraction.
Strain. Remove bones and vegetables. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer.
Cool and store. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

The jiggle test. Good bone broth solidifies to a jello-like consistency when refrigerated. This means the gelatin content is high, which means you’ve extracted the collagen effectively.

How to Use It

Drink it straight. Heat a cup and drink it like tea. Add salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. This is the simplest way to get the benefits.

Cook with it. Use as a base for soups, stews, and sauces. Anywhere a recipe calls for water or stock, use bone broth instead.

Rice and grains. Cook rice, quinoa, or other grains in bone broth instead of water. Adds flavor and nutrition.

Morning ritual. Replace or supplement your morning coffee with a warm cup of bone broth. The glycine provides calm alertness without the jitteriness of caffeine.

Common Questions

How much should I drink? 1 to 2 cups daily is the common recommendation for general health benefits.

Can I buy it instead of making it? Yes, but quality varies enormously. Look for brands that use bones from pasture-raised animals and simmer for 18+ hours. The broth should jiggle when cold.

Isn’t this just stock? Stock is similar but typically simmered for 4 to 6 hours. Bone broth simmers for 12 to 24 hours, extracting significantly more collagen, gelatin, and minerals.

What about collagen supplements? Collagen powder is more convenient but doesn’t provide the full spectrum of nutrients found in bone broth (gelatin, minerals, glycine from the whole food matrix). Bone broth is the food-first approach.

Your grandmother made bone broth because she understood, through generations of accumulated wisdom, that it nourished the body in ways that other foods didn’t. Science is now catching up to explain why. The simplest health interventions are often the oldest.

For how collagen supports skin from the outside, see Best Anti-Aging Korean Skincare for Your 30s on Glow Coded.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much bone broth should you drink per day?

One to two cups daily is the standard recommendation for general health benefits. This provides roughly two to three grams of glycine, a meaningful amount of collagen peptides, and a range of minerals. Some people drink more during periods of gut healing or joint recovery, but one to two cups is sufficient for most people to see sustained benefits.

Is store-bought bone broth as good as homemade?

Quality varies enormously. The best store-bought options use bones from pasture-raised animals and simmer for 18 or more hours, resulting in broth that solidifies (jiggles) when refrigerated. Many commercial products are essentially flavored water with minimal collagen content. If the broth does not gel when cold, it likely was not simmered long enough to extract meaningful nutrients. Homemade broth gives you full control over quality and costs significantly less per serving.

Can bone broth help with joint pain?

Clinical evidence supports this. A 2016 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that collagen supplementation reduced activity-related joint pain in athletes. Bone broth provides collagen in its most natural, bioavailable form alongside hyaluronic acid and other compounds that support joint lubrication and cartilage health. Consistent daily consumption for four to eight weeks is typically needed before noticeable improvement.

What is the difference between bone broth and regular stock?

The key difference is cooking time. Regular stock simmers for four to six hours, extracting flavor but limited nutrients. Bone broth simmers for 12 to 24 hours, which is enough time to break down collagen into gelatin, extract minerals from the bones, and release amino acids like glycine and glutamine. Good bone broth solidifies to a jello-like consistency when refrigerated, indicating high gelatin content.