Is Bone Broth Good for Anti-Aging?

Partly: bone broth can support healthy aging when it contributes protein and fluid to a balanced diet, but it has not been shown to reverse aging.

Can bone broth slow aging?

Bone broth is a food, not an anti-aging treatment. Depending on how it is made, it can provide protein that contributes to the maintenance of body tissues, as well as fluid that helps with hydration. Neither effect means that bone broth can stop the aging process.

There is no good evidence that drinking bone broth reduces wrinkles, extends life or prevents age-related disease in people. It can be one part of a varied eating pattern alongside the best foods for anti-aging, but it does not need to be a staple for healthy aging.

Expectations matter: a nutritious diet can support health as you age, while no single food can guarantee how your skin, joints or bones will change.

How might bone broth support healthy aging?

Bone broth is made by cooking animal bones, often with connective tissue and other ingredients, in water. The resulting liquid may contain gelatin and other proteins, although the amount varies with the ingredients and preparation. Packaged products can differ, so check the label rather than assuming every bone broth is protein-rich.

Your digestive system breaks dietary proteins, including collagen and gelatin, into amino acids and small peptides. Your body can then use these building blocks as needed. Drinking bone broth does not send collagen directly to the skin or guarantee that your body will make more collagen in a particular place.

Getting enough protein from a variety of foods helps maintain muscle and other tissues as you age. Bone broth can contribute if it contains protein, but it should not be relied on as your only source: collagen-based protein does not provide all essential amino acids in the proportions needed to replace a varied diet.

Bone broth also supplies fluid. Hydration supports normal body function, but drinking extra bone broth has not been shown to erase wrinkles or otherwise reverse aging. The evidence for best drinks for anti-aging should be considered with the same distinction between general nutrition and proven effects on aging.

What does the research show?

Direct evidence for anti-aging benefits from bone broth in humans is limited. The available study examined bone-related effects in a laboratory and in animals, not whether people who drink bone broth look younger or live longer.

In a 2024 animal and laboratory study, researchers studied chicken-vegetable bone broth and a fraction containing hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate. Rats given the broth or the fraction had improvements in some bone measurements compared with untreated rats in the experimental model.

That finding is a starting point for research, not proof that bone broth prevents osteoporosis or fractures in people. The study used a particular broth and an animal model; its results cannot establish the effect of everyday servings or of other bone broth products.

Bone broth should also be distinguished from collagen supplements. Results for a supplement cannot automatically be applied to bone broth, because their ingredients and amounts can differ.

How can you use bone broth in your diet?

Use bone broth as a food you enjoy rather than a daily requirement. You can drink it warm with a meal or use it as the liquid in a soup, stew or grain dish. Pair it with a variety of foods, including other protein sources, instead of treating it as a complete meal on its own.

When buying bone broth, compare labels for protein and sodium per serving. Look at the serving size as well: a product may provide less protein, or more sodium, than you expect in the amount you actually drink. If protein is your main reason for choosing it, select a product that lists protein rather than relying on marketing claims.

Homemade bone broth varies too, and its nutrient content cannot be determined reliably just by looking at it. There is no established amount of bone broth to drink for anti-aging, and more is not necessarily better.

Who should be careful with bone broth?

Bone broth can be high in sodium. If you have high blood pressure, heart failure or kidney disease, or have been advised to limit sodium or fluid, check the label and ask your clinician or dietitian how it fits your plan. People with kidney disease may also need individual advice about protein and minerals.

For children and during pregnancy, use fully cooked, safely stored bone broth as part of a balanced diet. Refrigerate homemade bone broth promptly, within 2 hours of cooking, using shallow containers to help it cool. Reheat it thoroughly before serving, and discard it if you suspect it has been stored unsafely.

Talk with a clinician if you have concerns about bone health, persistent joint symptoms or an unexplained change in your health. Bone broth is not a substitute for an assessment or prescribed care, and you should not stop medication because you have added it to your diet.