Bone broth diet: Is it safe and does it work?

Bone broth is a savory liquid made by simmering animal bones in water, sometimes adding salt, herbs, and vegetables. Thanks to longer cooking time (up to 24 hours), this kind of broth has a rich nutrient profile, providing you with collagen, gelatin, calcium, amino acids, and other elements.

A bone broth diet is a generalized term that implies using bone broth for weight loss purposes. It can take different forms, such as following 5 days of a balanced, low-carb diet and having 2 days of intermittent fasting with broth. Also, it can be a meal replacement or an occasional bone broth cleanse. In each of these cases, consuming bone broth can help you lose weight and gain many additional benefits. Still, experts don’t consider it to be a good replacement for a full meal. Hence, it’s important to approach your diet with caution and avoid rushing into it.

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Bone broth is known as a nutrient-dense, savory liquid that’s low in calories but packed with proteins and minerals. Thanks to its low-calorie, nutrient-rich content, this liquid is often used for weight loss purposes. But is it really effective and safe?

In this article, we’ll guide you to a bone broth diet. We’ll talk about its forms, safety, and give you some practical tips on how to lose weight without experiencing side effects.

What Is Bone Broth?

Bone broth is a liquid made with water and animal bones (usually, chicken or beef). Optionally, it can also contain salt, herbs, and vegetables for added taste. The main difference between a regular broth or stock is that a bone broth typically implies simmering bones for a longer time, up to 24 hours.

What Are the Benefits of Drinking Bone Broth?

Thanks to animal bone content and prolonged cooking time, bone broth is known for a range of benefits. It’s incredibly nutrient-dense. In the process of cooking, the nutrients contained in animal bones break down, leaving you with a savory liquid that contains:

• Collagen
• Gelatin
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Glycine and arginine amino acids
• And other minerals

Additionally, bone broth is considered an excellent source of protein. It contains about 8-10 grams of protein per cup.

Thanks to its rich nutrient profile, consuming bone broth is associated with a range of benefits, such as:

• Joint and bone health
• Gut health
• Inflammation relief
• Relaxation and sleep improvement
• Muscle growth and recovery
• And others

What Is a Bone Broth Diet?

The Bone Broth Diet typically refers to a weight loss approach popularized by Dr. Kellyann Petrucci. This is a 21-day meal plan that combines 5 days of a low-carb diet (similar to Paleo or Mediterranean) and 2 days of intermittent fasting when you only consume bone broth (3-6 cups a day).

While this is a standardized definition, a bone broth diet can also mean other dietary approaches that involve drinking bone broth. For example, some people prefer making one or a few fasting days with bone broth. Others may choose to use bone broth as meal replacement on an everyday basis.

Regardless of the chosen approach, there is one thing all these diets have in common – they rely on bone broth as a nutrient-dense meal replacement. And it has been shown to help with weight management in several ways:

• A small amount of calories – Bone broth has a very low-calorie content. It contains, on average, 45 calories per cup (though calories can range from 35 to 80 depending on ingredients), which makes it an incredibly low-calorie meal, which is exactly what you want for effective weight loss.
• A high content of protein – Despite low calories, bone broth contains quite a lot of protein. Multiple studies confirm that people who consume more protein lose more weight than those who don’t, which is another reason why a bone broth diet can stimulate weight loss.
• Faster satiety – Thanks to collagen and gelatin, bone broth makes you feel full sooner than many other meals. These ingredients also help curb appetite. That is, you consume fewer calories but can generally feel fuller and less hungry throughout the day.
• Metabolism speed-up – Thanks to the thermic effect and amino acids contained in it, bone broth is also considered to aid digestion. It can support your metabolic function, which can also help you effectively lose weight.

Can You Drink Bone Broth as a Meal Replacement?

As you now see, a bone broth diet (regardless of its form) implies replacing one or several full meals a day with bone broth. Studies confirm that this can indeed help you lose weight. But is bone broth a good meal replacement in reality?

Shortly, no. Although it contains proteins and many other essential nutrients, bone broth cannot be considered a complete meal as it still lacks certain nutrients. Specialists also do not recommend consuming solely bone broth for weight loss purposes. Since it’s very low-calorie, eating only it can lead to a significant calorie deficit and unhealthy weight loss. Often, it’s also paired with energy crashes and nutrient deficiencies.

Some other side effects of consuming bone broth can include:

• Bloating
• Constipation
• Increased bowel movements
• Stomach upset
• Inflammatory bowel syndrome
• Nausea
• A risk of lead poisoning
• Glutamic acid sensitivity symptoms, such as sleeplessness, anxiety, etc.

When can you drink bone broth as a meal replacement? Although it’s not considered a good replacement for a full meal, you can still use bone broth for weight loss in the following ways:

• Make it your snack. By snacking on bone broth, you can provide your body with plenty of protein and minerals without adding too many calories.
• Replace only one meal. Instead of eating only bone broth throughout the entire day, consider having, for example, a bone broth lunch. This way, you can reduce the amount of consumed calories without creating a very significant deficit.
• Make an occasional bone broth cleanse or fast. If you are healthy and don’t have any deficiencies, you can try eating only bone broth for a limited amount of time, such as a day or two. However, it’s important that you eat a very nutritious and balanced diet the rest of the time.

Bone Broth Diet: Practical Tips for Healthy Weight Loss

As you now know, using bone broth as meal replacement is generally not recommended. At the same time, this liquid can indeed help the weight loss process and offer you certain benefits. So, how do you lose weight with bone broth without side effects? Here are a few practical tips for the safety and efficiency of your bone broth diet:

• Don’t rely too much on bone broth as a meal replacement. Ideally, use it as a starter before meals for greater satiety and portion control.
• If you want to do a bone broth cleanse, consider adding additional ingredients, such as veggies, legumes, or whole grains, to get more nutrients.
• Keep an eye on ingredients when buying bone broth. Avoid additives and high sodium contents.
• Replace processed snacks with bone broth when you feel hungry.
• Avoid extreme diets in which you consume only bone broth for a long time. Remember about a healthy calorie deficit to avoid fast weight loss.
• Consider consulting with a healthcare provider about a dietary approach you want to try, especially if you have a known medical condition.

FAQ

Is it healthy to use bone broth as meal replacement?

No, it’s not considered very healthy. Although it’s considered nutrient-dense, bone broth still lacks many nutrients and is very low-calorie. For this reason, replacing your meals with it can lead to energy crashes, nutrient deficiencies, and unhealthy weight loss. However, bone broth can be an excellent snack or just one meal replacement a day. You can also use it to make a “bone broth cleanse” for a limited amount of time or practice intermittent fasting with bone broth.

How much weight can I lose from a bone broth cleanse?

The exact amount of weight you can lose depends on a number of factors, including your initial body mass index, the type of bone broth diet you choose, its duration, and others. According to one study on obese adults, there were decreases of 4.8 kg and 2.6 kg in body weight over the two 3-week periods of intermittent fasting with bone broth, followed by a week of maintenance.

What other benefits can a bone broth diet offer?

Consuming bone broth can offer a number of weight loss and metabolic benefits. It helps stabilize blood glucose and significantly reduces hunger and cravings. Additionally, bone broth helps support joint, bone, and gut health, reduces inflammation, aids muscle recovery and growth, and promotes relaxation.

Conclusion

A bone broth diet can take many different forms, from a prolonged meal plan that combines most days of balanced eating and a few days of intermittent fasting to occasional fasting days. Thanks to its low-calorie content and nutrient-rich profile, bone broth can indeed stimulate weight loss. But can you drink bone broth as a meal replacement? 

As you now know, experts don’t recommend doing this. Bone broth has insufficient nutrients to replace a complete meal. But you can use the tips from this article to introduce this savory liquid to your diet and stimulate weight loss without dealing with adverse effects.

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