Bone broth is a nourishing liquid traditionally prepared by slow-simmering animal bones and connective tissues for many hours. This extended cooking process extracts beneficial compounds like collagen, gelatin, and various minerals, leading to its broad popularity as a wellness beverage. While many people safely incorporate bone broth into their diets, its unique nutritional profile and preparation methods mean it is not suitable for everyone. Certain medical conditions, lifestyle choices, and sourcing risks necessitate that some individuals strictly limit or completely avoid its consumption.
Dietary and Lifestyle Restrictions
Bone broth is fundamentally an animal product, making it incompatible with plant-based dietary philosophies. Individuals who adhere to vegan or vegetarian diets exclude bone broth because it is made from the bones of beef, chicken, or fish. This exclusion is based on ethical or philosophical principles, rather than concerns for personal health effects.
Specific religious dietary laws also introduce restrictions concerning the sourcing of the bones used in the broth. For a product to be considered Kosher or Halal, the animal must have been raised and slaughtered according to specific religious guidelines. The bones must be certified and sourced from animals processed under Zabihah Halal or Kosher supervision to be permissible for consumption. While bone broth itself is not prohibited, the lack of proper certification in commercial or homemade preparations could lead to its exclusion.
Medical Conditions Affected by Bone Broth Composition
The concentrated nature of bone broth means its consumption can pose a risk for people managing certain chronic systemic diseases. The high concentration of minerals and protein extracted during the lengthy simmer must be considered, particularly by those with compromised organ function.
Individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are advised to limit their intake of protein and specific minerals abundant in bone broth. Compromised kidneys struggle to filter metabolic waste products from high protein intake, placing a burden on the organ. Bone broth is a significant source of minerals like potassium and phosphorus, which can accumulate to dangerous levels in the blood of CKD patients and disrupt heart and bone health.
Patients managing hypertension or heart conditions must exercise caution, largely due to the sodium content. While homemade broth allows for sodium control, many commercial bone broths contain added salt to enhance flavor and preservation. High sodium intake is known to exacerbate high blood pressure, making it necessary for these patients to check the nutritional label or ensure their homemade preparation is low-sodium.
The presence of purines in bone broth makes it problematic for those with gout. Purines are natural compounds that break down into uric acid, which can crystallize in the joints and cause painful gout flares. The prolonged simmering of bones and connective tissue increases the concentration of purines in the final broth, which can elevate uric acid levels in susceptible individuals.
Acute Sensitivities and Sourcing Concerns
Some people experience acute negative reactions to bone broth, often related to its preparation method or the quality of its source materials. One common sensitivity is histamine intolerance, which affects an estimated one percent of the population.
Bone broth is a high-histamine food because its preparation involves a long, slow cooking process, which encourages the development of histamines. For individuals with this intolerance, consuming bone broth can trigger symptoms such as headaches, hives, gastrointestinal distress, or flushing. To mitigate this, sensitive individuals may need to make broth using a pressure cooker or a quick-simmer method, which reduces the time histamines accumulate in the liquid.
Gastrointestinal distress, including bloating, nausea, or diarrhea, can occur in people sensitive to the high concentration of gelatin. Some vegetables commonly used in broth preparation, such as onions and garlic, contain fermentable carbohydrates known as FODMAPs. These compounds are water-soluble and can leach into the broth, causing digestive discomfort in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
A concern related to bone broth consumption involves the potential for heavy metal contamination. Bones act as storage sites for heavy metals, most notably lead, which the animal may have accumulated over its lifetime. The long cooking time used to make bone broth can mobilize and leach this sequestered lead from the bone matrix into the liquid. Studies have found that bone broth can contain lead concentrations several times higher than the water used to make it. Consumers are advised to source bones from young, healthy, and organically raised animals to minimize the risk of consuming these toxic elements.