Bone broth contains several compounds with demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, most notably the amino acids glycine and glutamine. Whether drinking bone broth delivers these compounds in high enough concentrations to meaningfully reduce inflammation in your body is less certain, since no rigorous human clinical trials have tested bone broth itself as an anti-inflammatory intervention. The evidence is promising but indirect: the individual ingredients work, and the delivery vehicle is plausible.
Glycine: The Key Anti-Inflammatory Compound
The strongest case for bone broth’s anti-inflammatory potential centers on glycine, the most abundant amino acid in collagen-rich bones and connective tissue. A cup of bone broth can contain several grams of glycine depending on preparation, and glycine has well-documented effects on inflammation at the cellular level.
Glycine works primarily by suppressing a protein called NF-kB, one of the body’s master switches for inflammation. When NF-kB is active, it triggers the production of inflammatory signaling molecules, including TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1-beta. These are the same molecules that drive the chronic, low-grade inflammation linked to conditions like heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and autoimmune disorders. Glycine blocks NF-kB activation and simultaneously boosts production of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory signal that helps calm the immune response.
This isn’t a single-pathway effect. Glycine also reduces intracellular calcium levels by opening chloride channels on cell membranes, which dampens the cell’s ability to produce inflammatory mediators in the first place. In immune cells like macrophages and T lymphocytes, glycine suppresses the output of pro-inflammatory cytokines while shifting the balance toward anti-inflammatory ones. A 2023 review in PMC described glycine as “the smallest anti-inflammatory micronutrient,” noting that these effects have been demonstrated across many different cell types, from liver cells to fat tissue to the lining of blood vessels.
Glutamine and Gut Barrier Protection
Bone broth also provides glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in your bloodstream and one that plays a critical role in maintaining the intestinal lining. This matters for inflammation because a compromised gut barrier allows bacteria, toxins, and undigested food particles to cross into the bloodstream, triggering an immune response that can drive inflammation throughout the body.
Glutamine helps maintain the tight junction proteins (claudin-1 and occludin) that seal the gaps between intestinal cells. When glutamine is depleted, these proteins break down and redistribute, creating gaps that increase permeability. In human studies, glutamine supplementation has been shown to reduce intestinal permeability and lower inflammatory responses in burn patients, post-surgical patients, and children with diarrheal diseases. A 2025 review in PubMed specifically noted that bone broth’s amino acid profile, including glutamine, glycine, proline, and arginine, supports intestinal barrier function and helps alleviate inflammation in the gut lining, particularly in inflammatory bowel disease.
The connection is straightforward: a healthier gut barrier means fewer inflammatory triggers entering your system. Bone broth supplies the raw materials your gut lining needs to stay intact.
What About Collagen and Joint Inflammation?
Bone broth is rich in collagen, which breaks down during cooking into gelatin and smaller peptides. These collagen-derived compounds are often promoted for joint health, and there’s some logic to the claim. Bone broth made with cartilage-rich joints and connective tissue contains glycosaminoglycans like chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid, both of which are sold as joint supplements. One study found approximately 17.8 mg of hyaluronic acid in a 50 mL serving of chicken-vegetable bone broth.
The evidence for collagen’s direct effect on inflammatory markers, however, is weak. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in Frontiers in Nutrition tested low-molecular-weight collagen peptides in people with knee osteoarthritis and found no significant difference in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (a standard blood marker of inflammation) between the collagen group and the placebo group. The researchers suggested the study period may have been too short, but for now, collagen peptides haven’t been shown to lower measurable inflammatory markers in humans.
That doesn’t mean collagen from bone broth is useless for joints. It may support cartilage maintenance through other mechanisms that don’t show up as changes in CRP. But if you’re drinking bone broth specifically to lower inflammatory blood markers, glycine is doing more of the heavy lifting than collagen.
The Gap Between Ingredients and Proof
Here’s the honest picture: no one has run a controlled human trial where one group drinks bone broth daily and another drinks a placebo, then compared their inflammatory markers over weeks or months. The existing evidence connects the dots between bone broth’s known components and their independently demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects, but the final link, proof that consuming bone broth as a whole food produces measurable anti-inflammatory results, hasn’t been established in clinical research.
This doesn’t mean bone broth isn’t anti-inflammatory. It means the claim rests on reasonable inference rather than direct proof. Glycine’s anti-inflammatory mechanisms are well supported. Glutamine’s role in gut barrier integrity is well supported. Bone broth reliably delivers both. The leap from “these ingredients reduce inflammation” to “this food reduces inflammation” is a small one, but it’s still a leap.
How Preparation Affects Potency
Not all bone broth is equally rich in these compounds. The anti-inflammatory potential depends heavily on how it’s made.
- Cooking time matters most. Full extraction of nutrients from bones requires 24 to 36 hours of simmering. A pressure cooker can cut that to roughly one-third of the time with comparable results. A broth simmered for only a few hours will contain significantly less glycine, glutamine, and collagen.
- Bone type and joints. Using bones with attached cartilage, tendons, and connective tissue (like chicken feet, knuckles, or oxtail) increases the glycosaminoglycan and collagen content. Bare marrow bones alone yield fewer of these compounds.
- Acid addition. A splash of vinegar or other acid helps draw minerals and amino acids out of the bones during cooking.
Store-bought bone broth varies widely. Some commercial products are closer to regular stock with minimal simmering time, while others are slow-cooked and concentrated. A thick, gelatinous broth that solidifies when refrigerated is a good visual indicator of high collagen and amino acid content.
Lead Contamination: A Minor Concern
Because bones can accumulate heavy metals, some people worry about lead in bone broth. Testing of commercial bone broth products found lead concentrations ranging from about 2.6 to 4.3 parts per billion, translating to roughly 1.7 micrograms per 500 mL serving. Homemade chicken bone broth tested at about 7 micrograms per liter. For context, the FDA allows up to 5 micrograms of lead per liter in bottled water. These levels are low enough that occasional or even regular consumption is unlikely to pose a health risk for most adults, though it’s worth being aware of if you’re drinking multiple cups daily over long periods.
Bone Broth Compared to Supplements
If glycine is the primary anti-inflammatory player, you could get more of it from a supplement. Glycine powder is inexpensive, and studies on its anti-inflammatory effects typically use doses of 3 to 5 grams, which is achievable through supplementation more easily than through broth alone. Similarly, glutamine supplements deliver higher and more consistent doses than what you’d get from a cup of broth.
Bone broth’s advantage is that it delivers multiple potentially beneficial compounds simultaneously: glycine, glutamine, proline, arginine, collagen peptides, glycosaminoglycans, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It also provides these in a whole-food matrix with good bioavailability. For people who prefer food-based approaches or who want a warm, satisfying way to get these nutrients, bone broth is a practical option. It’s just not the most potent or precise one.