Bone Broth Unlikely to Provide Reliable Concentrations of Collagen Precursors Compared With Supplemental Sources of Collagen Used in Collagen Research

Alcock RD, Shaw GC, Burke LM · International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism

Broth made to a standardized recipe contained significantly lower amino acid concentrations than a 20 g collagen supplement dose (p = .003-.004). The finding is about preparation, not the food: non-standardized recipes varied enormously, the cafe-prepared varieties had the highest levels of every amino acid measured, and self-prepared beat commercial. The authors conclude broth cannot reliably deliver the doses used in collagen research.

Population

Amino acid analysis of commercial and home-prepared bone broths (no human subjects)

Intervention

Standardized and variable bone-broth recipes analyzed for glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, lysine, leucine

Comparator

A 20 g reference dose of collagen supplement

Limitations

Chemical analysis only; no health outcomes measured. No preparation longer than a standard domestic recipe was tested, so it says nothing about very long (24-48 h) simmers.