For the Last Time: NO, I Don’t Consume Bone Broth

Julie Bolejack

— 2 min read
For the Last Time: NO, I Don’t Consume Bone Broth
Photo by Chilli Charlie / Unsplash

Oh good, it’s be “sick season“ again — and you know what that means:

A fresh tidal wave of unsolicited medical advice from the people who mean well but didn’t listen the last time.

Bone broth.

NO, thank you!

I have heard of bone broth. I have been informed (at length!) that it’s the miracle elixir that will cure my sniffles, my soul, and maybe even my student loans if I just chug enough of it.

So, for the millionth — and allegedly final — time:

No. I do not, and will not, consume bone broth.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

First:

I’m not religiously vegan. I’m not gathering crystals at a shrine to kale.

But I do prefer to live a life that mostly avoids meat and animal products because, you know, ethics, environment, and not feeling like I just licked a grease trap.

Second:

There is zero, and I do mean ZERO, credible scientific evidence that bone broth is the magical health potion your neighbor’s yoga instructor swore by in 2016.

Here’s what actual science says about bone broth:

  • It’s mostly water, some protein (gelatin), sodium, and trace amounts of minerals — none of which are particularly “healing” in any measurable sense.
  • Gelatin (cooked collagen) breaks down in your stomach into amino acids like literally any other protein source. It’s not traveling through your bloodstream like a squad of tiny orthopedic surgeons to “heal your joints.”
  • A study published in the journal Food and Nutrition Research (2020) found that bone broth does not contain significant levels of key minerals — like calcium or magnesium — that its fans claim it does. You’d get more calcium licking a sidewalk.
  • Some studies even show that bone broth can accumulate heavy metals, like lead, from bones. (Cheers! Nothing says “healing” like a little light heavy metal poisoning.)
  • Oh, and that gut-healing miracle claim? Also unproven. The idea that drinking bone broth can “seal” your gut lining is about as scientifically valid as believing duct tape cures the common cold.

Sources for the those who love “doing their own research”:

Now, what does help when you’re sick?

  • Warm vegetable broths packed with real, bioavailable nutrients.
  • Herbal teas like ginger, peppermint, chamomile, and licorice root, which actually have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties supported by clinical research.
  • Hydration that doesn’t involve slurping melted cow skeletons.
  • Rest, hydration, real food, and maybe a Netflix marathon — not medieval witch-doctor potions.

If you love drinking what is essentially meat-flavored hot water, you do you.

Live your best gelatinous life.

But stop trying to force me to sit at your medieval soup party like I’m some extra in a Renaissance fair production of Game of Thrones: The Crockpot Years.

So, in conclusion:

No, I don’t want your bone broth.

No, it’s not a cure-all.

No, it’s not even particularly nutritious.

Yes, I will continue to sip my vegan broth soup like a sane adult.

For the Last Time: NO, I Don’t Consume Bone Broth

And if that hurts anyone’s feelings…🤷🏼‍♀️

With love and slightly congested snark,

Julie Bolejack, MBA

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