Protein is the best-supported benefit of bone broth for women: a warm, easy way to get more of it at a time of life when you need more. Collagen research for skin is promising, the joint research is early, and "heals your gut" claims go well past the evidence.
In this article
- Bone broth benefits for women, graded
- Protein: the benefit that matters most
- Is bone broth good for your skin?
- Bone broth for joints
- Gut health claims
- Sleep and glycine
- Bone broth in the morning
- Bone broth for perimenopause and menopause
- What bone broth can't do
- Homemade broth vs Bone Broth Protein Mix
- Quick answers
- Sources
Most answers to this question read like a wish list. I'm a nurse, so I'd rather sort the claims by how much evidence sits behind each one. Here's how I'd grade them.
Bone broth benefits for women, graded
| Benefit | What the research shows | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Helps you meet protein needs | Bone broth protein is real protein; protein supports muscle, especially in midlife | Strong |
| Skin hydration and elasticity | Trials of hydrolyzed collagen supplements show improvements; bone broth itself is not well studied | Moderate, for collagen |
| Joint comfort | A few small collagen studies, mostly in athletes | Early |
| Sleep | Glycine studies used doses larger than a cup provides | Early |
| Gut health | Plausible building blocks; little direct human evidence | Limited |
| Weight loss | No direct evidence; protein can help you feel full | Indirect only |
Protein: the benefit that matters most
This is the least exciting benefit and the most useful one. As estrogen falls through perimenopause and menopause, women tend to lose muscle mass and strength (Maltais and colleagues, 2009). You can't change your hormones on a whim, but you can change how much protein you eat and whether you lift, and muscle is what keeps you strong and steady for decades.
How you spread protein across the day may matter too. In one small study, adults who ate about 30 grams of protein at each meal had higher 24-hour muscle protein synthesis than adults who ate most of it at dinner (Mamerow and colleagues, 2014). Breakfast is usually the lowest-protein meal for women I talk to, and a warm cup of bone broth protein is one of the easiest ways to close that gap. One scoop of our Mix has 14g of protein. Whisked into 1 cup (8 oz) of dairy milk, it's about 22g.
One caveat. Bone broth protein is rich in collagen, which is very low in tryptophan and lower in leucine than meat or dairy. It counts toward your daily protein, but it shouldn't be your only source. I go into this in my answer on bone broth protein and essential amino acids. For daily targets by body weight, see how much protein you need in perimenopause.
Is bone broth good for your skin?
Collagen is the main structural protein in skin, and skin collagen declines with age. The research on drinking collagen is better than a lot of people assume. A 2021 meta-analysis of 19 randomized trials, with more than 1,100 participants (mostly women), found hydrolyzed collagen supplements improved skin hydration and elasticity compared with placebo (de Miranda and colleagues, 2021).
Now the limit. Those trials used specific collagen peptides at set doses, usually for around 90 days. They didn't use bone broth. Homemade broth varies too much to count on for a dose: researchers who measured collagen building blocks across different bone broths found big swings between batches and recipes, and a standardized homemade broth delivered far less than a typical 20g collagen supplement (Alcock and colleagues, 2019). A product with collagen on the label, like our 10g+ per scoop, is more consistent. I still won't promise you a skin result from a drink. If you're comparing the two directly, read bone broth vs collagen peptides.
Bone broth for joints
Collagen is part of cartilage, tendons and ligaments, so joint claims are everywhere. The evidence is thin so far. In one 24-week study, athletes with activity-related joint discomfort who took 10g of collagen hydrolysate a day reported improvement compared with placebo (Clark and colleagues, 2008). Interesting, but that's one group of young athletes on one dose, and nobody was drinking bone broth. For joints, strength training, staying active and a healthy weight still have far more support than anything you can drink.
Gut health claims
This is where the marketing gets loudest and the evidence gets thinnest. Bone broth is rich in glycine and proline and supplies glutamine, and those are reasonable building blocks for the tissue that lines your gut. That's a fair argument for including it in your diet. Claims that bone broth heals or seals the gut are a different thing. Good human studies don't back them, and I'd be skeptical of anyone who makes them.
What I can tell you is why a lot of women end up here: whey or milk-based shakes leave them bloated. Our Mix is dairy-free, so it may sit better for some people. That's a practical reason, not a medical one. More in is bone broth protein dairy free?
Sleep and glycine
Bone broth is rich in glycine, and glycine has a small body of sleep research behind it. Those studies gave about 3 grams of glycine before bed (Bannai and Kawai, 2012), which is more than a typical cup of broth provides. So a warm, caffeine-free mug at night is a nice wind-down habit, and Classic Chocolate works for it since it has 0mg caffeine. It isn't a sleep treatment.
If your evenings already include magnesium, that's a good fit too. NO. 04 Magnesium Glycinate is 200mg of elemental magnesium taken 30 to 60 minutes before bed, and pairing it with a morning mug covers two different gaps at two different times of day. I go through the routine, and the glycine overlap, in can you take magnesium with protein?
Bone broth in the morning
Morning is where bone broth protein earns its spot for most women. It turns a coffee-only breakfast into one with 14g of protein. If you want the caffeine too, our Caffeinated Chocolate has 60mg per scoop. Classic Chocolate, Mocha and Chai have none. For something more filling, try our Chocolate Overnight Oats.
“Most mornings, I make Rae Basics with hot water. It's an easy way to get some protein in before I get busy.”
Skotie Rae, RN, founder
Bone broth for perimenopause and menopause
No research shows bone broth eases menopause symptoms, and I won't tell you it does. What it gives you in these years is the protein benefit above, in a form that's easy to have every day. Add strength training, protein at every meal and enough sleep, and you're covering the habits with the most evidence behind them.
What bone broth can't do
It won't melt fat, detox you, cure bloating or stand in for medical care. It's food: a good source of protein and naturally occurring collagen that a lot of women find comforting and easy to drink every day.
Homemade broth vs Bone Broth Protein Mix
I started Rae Basics in my kitchen during IVF, when I wanted something clean and nourishing and couldn't find it. Homemade broth is great, but it takes hours and every pot turns out different. One 21g scoop of grass-fed Bone Broth Protein Mix gives you a consistent 14g of protein, 10g+ of naturally occurring collagen and 0g sugar, and it tastes like hot chocolate. Every number is on Rae Basics at a glance.
Quick answers
What are the benefits of bone broth for women?
The best-supported benefit is protein, which matters more for women in midlife. Collagen research for skin is promising, joint research is early, and gut claims are mostly unproven.
Is bone broth good for your skin?
Collagen supplements have improved skin hydration and elasticity in clinical trials. Bone broth contains collagen, but those trials used standardized collagen doses, not broth.
Is it good to drink bone broth in the morning?
For many women, yes. It adds protein to a meal that's often low in it. Pair it with eggs, yogurt or fruit for a fuller breakfast.
Does bone broth help with menopause?
There's no evidence it eases menopause symptoms. It can help you meet higher protein needs in midlife, which supports muscle.
How much bone broth should a woman drink a day?
There's no official amount. One cup or one scoop a day is a common, easy habit. Count it toward your total protein for the day.
Sources
- Maltais ML, Desroches J, Dionne IJ. Changes in muscle mass and strength after menopause. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2009;9(4):186-197.
- Mamerow MM, Mettler JA, English KL, et al. Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. J Nutr. 2014;144(6):876-880.
- de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol. 2021;60(12):1449-1461.
- Alcock RD, Shaw GC, Burke LM. Bone broth unlikely to provide reliable concentrations of collagen precursors compared with supplemental sources of collagen used in collagen research. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019;29(3):265-272.
- Clark KL, Sebastianelli W, Flechsenhar KR, et al. 24-week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008;24(5):1485-1496.
- Bannai M, Kawai N. New therapeutic strategy for amino acid medicine: glycine improves the quality of sleep. J Pharmacol Sci. 2012;118(2):145-148.
