TL;DR
Get beauty and skincare favorites delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
A Marie Claire report featuring a registered dietitian, dermatologist and OB-GYN finds no strong clinical evidence that drinking bone broth directly improves skin. Its protein and collagen content vary, and packaged products can be high in sodium.
A Marie Claire report reviewing bone broth’s touted beauty benefits finds no strong clinical evidence that drinking it directly improves skin hydration, elasticity, firmness or wrinkles. Experts interviewed by the magazine say broth can provide some protein and amino acids, but its nutritional content varies, and evidence from collagen-supplement studies cannot be assumed to apply to bone broth.
Bone broth is generally made by simmering animal bones and connective tissue in water, sometimes with meat, vegetables and seasonings. Registered dietitian Valerie Agyeman told Marie Claire that it is often cooked for eight to 24 hours or longer to draw out gelatin and other compounds. The finished product may contain protein and amino acids such as glycine and proline, but the amount depends on preparation and brand.
A cup may provide around five to 10 grams of protein, according to the report, but Agyeman said that is usually less than a typical serving of chicken, fish or Greek yogurt. She recommends treating broth as an addition to meals rather than a main protein source. Collagen and mineral levels also vary; consumers should check product labels instead of assuming broth is a dependable source of calcium or other nutrients.
Dermatologist Morgana Colombo told the magazine that research has not established that bone broth itself improves skin. Studies of hydrolyzed collagen supplements have reported modest improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, but the evidence is mixed. Those findings do not establish that a cup of broth has the same effect: supplement studies use specific products and doses, while collagen content in broth is variable.
Skin Claims Outpace the Evidence
The distinction matters for people considering bone broth as a daily beauty routine or spending more on products marketed for skin benefits. The experts quoted in the report do not rule out nutritional value, but they say that a direct skin effect has not been demonstrated for bone broth. Its amino acids are building blocks used by the body, yet that alone does not show that drinking broth will increase skin collagen or change how skin looks.
Colombo told Marie Claire that collagen production is affected by age, genetics, hormones, UV exposure and nutritional status. She cautioned that consuming more collagen does not automatically mean the body will make more. The report therefore supports a measured takeaway: broth may fit into a varied diet, but readers should not treat it as a proven skin treatment or a substitute for established nutritional guidance.
There are also practical considerations beyond beauty claims. Agyeman advises checking sodium levels, particularly for people watching their blood pressure. Packaged products differ, and the label is a more useful guide to the contents of a particular broth than general claims about bone-based ingredients.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Broth and Collagen Are Different
Bone broth has a long history as food and is not a newly invented wellness product. The Marie Claire report describes its recent visibility among influencers and celebrity wellness audiences, while noting that families have prepared it in different culinary traditions. The current question is less whether broth is new than whether popular claims about its effects are supported by research.
The report distinguishes broth from standardized collagen peptides used in some studies. Broth is made from simmered bones and connective tissue, and its collagen-derived content can vary considerably. A finding about a defined supplement and dose cannot, on the information provided, be treated as evidence for every broth or serving size.
Bone-health claims require similar care. Agyeman said relatively little calcium may enter the finished broth and that overall intake of calcium, vitamin D and protein matters more. OB-GYN Jennifer Choe told the magazine that research on collagen peptides taken alongside calcium and vitamin D in postmenopausal women does not show that bone broth alone prevents osteoporosis or strengthens bones.
““It can help you get some protein, but it usually doesn’t provide as much as a typical serving of chicken, fish, or Greek yogurt.””
— Valerie Agyeman, registered dietitian, as quoted by Marie Claire
Product Content and Effects Vary
The report does not establish a standard amount of collagen or protein in bone broth, and the nutrient content varies by preparation and brand. Collagen may not be listed separately on labels. It also does not identify a dose, schedule or type of broth shown to improve skin in clinical research; the experts say strong evidence for such an effect is lacking.
The supplied report material ends during a discussion of potential downsides, after raising sodium and noting that Choe mentioned concerns about possible lead. It does not provide details or evidence for that concern, so the scale of any risk, which products might be affected and how consumers should assess it cannot be determined from the material provided. Readers should not infer that all products contain lead or that a particular product is unsafe.
Check Labels Before Buying
No further study, regulatory action or clinical milestone is specified in the supplied report. For readers deciding whether to drink bone broth, the experts’ immediate guidance is practical: treat it as a food rather than a proven skin intervention, compare protein and sodium on labels, and avoid assuming it supplies meaningful calcium or a fixed amount of collagen.
Future research would need to test bone broth itself, with its preparation and serving amounts clearly described, to answer whether it produces measurable skin changes. Until such evidence is available, results from studies of standardized collagen products should not be presented as proof that broth delivers the same outcome.
Key Questions
Does bone broth make skin glow?
The report finds no strong clinical evidence that drinking bone broth directly improves hydration, elasticity, firmness or wrinkles. Its amino acids are involved in collagen production, but that does not prove a visible skin effect from broth.
How much protein is in a cup of bone broth?
The report gives an approximate range of five to 10 grams per cup, with amounts varying by product and preparation. Check the label, and do not assume it provides as much protein as a serving of chicken, fish or Greek yogurt.
Are collagen supplements and bone broth interchangeable?
No. The report says collagen supplements used in studies may have a specific standardized dose, while collagen content in broth varies. Supplement findings do not establish that broth has the same effects.
What should I check before buying bone broth?
Compare the product’s sodium and protein on the nutrition label. Collagen may not be listed separately, and the report cautions that mineral content, including calcium, varies.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
