Is Bone Broth Good for Headaches?

Partly: bone broth may help a headache associated with dehydration by supplying fluid, but it is not a proven headache treatment.

The effect depends on why your head hurts. Bone broth is one option to consider alongside the best foods for headaches, especially if you have not had enough to drink or eat.

When might bone broth help a headache?

Dehydration can contribute to headaches, so replacing fluid may ease one when inadequate fluid intake is a factor. Bone broth is mostly liquid, but that does not mean a headache will respond to it or that dehydration is necessarily the cause.

Headaches can also occur with migraine, illness, stress or other causes. Bone broth is not a substitute for a diagnosis or treatment plan, particularly if headaches are frequent, severe or changing.

Think of bone broth as a way to get fluid and something to eat, rather than as a targeted remedy. If you feel better after having it, that alone does not establish what caused the headache.

How could bone broth help?

Drinking bone broth adds fluid to your intake. When a headache is related to mild dehydration, rehydrating can help address that contributing factor; bone broth does not need a special ingredient to provide fluid.

Bone broth often contains sodium, an electrolyte involved in fluid balance. The amount varies with the product and preparation, and more sodium is not necessarily better: there is no good evidence that additional sodium in bone broth treats a headache. Check the nutrition label when choosing a packaged product.

If you have skipped a meal, having a meal that includes bone broth may help you eat and drink. Bone broth alone may not provide enough energy to replace a meal, and its protein or collagen has not been shown to relieve headaches specifically. For a broader comparison of hydration choices, see the best drinks for headaches.

What does the evidence say about bone broth and headaches?

The available research is limited and does not establish that bone broth treats headaches in people. The distinction matters because a result in an animal model cannot show whether a person with a headache will feel better.

In a 2020 animal study, researchers gave enriched chicken bone broth to rats in a model of migraine associated with early-life stress. Supplementation reduced certain measures of nerve sensitivity in the animals, but the study did not test headache relief in people.

The findings are a starting point for research, not a reason to expect bone broth to prevent or relieve migraine. Human studies would be needed to determine whether it has an effect beyond providing fluid and nourishment.

How can you use bone broth for a headache?

If you would like to try bone broth, choose one with ingredients you tolerate and prepare it according to the package directions. Drink it at a comfortable temperature and consider having it with a meal if you have not eaten.

Compare sodium on the nutrition label rather than assuming a packaged bone broth is low in salt. A lower-sodium option may be useful if you have been advised to limit sodium. Homemade bone broth can also vary depending on what is added.

Do not force yourself to drink bone broth if its taste or smell makes you feel worse. Refrigerate leftovers promptly, reheat them thoroughly and discard them if they may have spoiled.

Continue any headache treatment your clinician has recommended; bone broth is not a replacement for prescribed medication. If the headache does not improve or keeps returning, seek medical advice rather than repeatedly relying on bone broth.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

If you have kidney disease, heart failure or high blood pressure, or take a diuretic, ask your clinician whether the sodium and fluid in bone broth fit your care plan. Follow any prescribed fluid or salt restriction rather than trying to drink extra.

Seek emergency care for a sudden, severe headache, or a headache with weakness, trouble speaking, confusion, vision loss, or fever and a stiff neck. A headache after a head injury also needs urgent evaluation; do not wait to see whether bone broth helps.

If you are pregnant or recently gave birth, seek urgent medical advice for a new or severe headache, especially with vision changes. Contact a clinician promptly if vomiting prevents you from keeping fluids down. For a child with a persistent or worsening headache, contact a pediatric clinician rather than relying on bone broth.