When to Drink Bone Broth

It turns out, timing matters to maximize your results with bone broth. If you're looking to lose weight, get glowing skin or fix your digestion and gut health, this article is for you.

If you drink bone broth at the wrong time, you are wasting your time and money. Don't do it!

Below is when you should drink bone broth based on your specific goals. 

First a quick note: my company makes the absolute highest quality bone broth you will find anywhere. Check us out for all of your nutrition needs.

On to the article!

When to Drink Bone Broth Infographic

You can see in the image below a snapshot of when to drink bone broth. However, read on for specific recommendations based on the most common goals.

Best Time to Drink Bone Broth For Weight Loss

If you're looking to lose weight using bone broth, then you must follow a bone broth diet and drink it throughout the day before your meals.

The bone broth diet is a meal plan where you fast 2 days per week with bone broth while eating a balanced diet the remaining 5 days.

On your bone broth fasting days, drink as much bone broth as you like. 3-6 cups spread throughout the day is a good starting point. For more details read about the bone broth diet.

This meal plan is shown to help guests lose weight.

For Digestive, Gut Health or Immune System Issues

If you're suffering from digestive issues, gut pain, IBS or any GI disease then the best time to drink bone broth is first thing in the morning and before your meals.

Bone broth is rich in amino acids that soothes your digestion and prepares it to digest incoming food. Get the specific details to optimize your gut health with bone broth in this report.

Suffering from Sore Joints, Bones or Tendon Pain?

The best time to drink bone broth for joint pain is 1 hour before exercise. The key is to add a bit of vitamin C (50mg). In terms of exercise, you can walk or perform rehab exercises. 

You can squeeze lemon juice in your mug of broth to get enough vitamin C. 

The timing is crucial as your exercise activity helps push more collagen into your tendons, ligaments and joints. You can learn more about this strategy in our bone broth benefits article (scroll to item #4). 

For Skin Health Benefits, Nails, Teeth and Hair

For glowing skin and stronger hair, nails and teeth, you need to drink 5 servings of bone broth per week for 6-8 weeks. It takes a while but it is worth it for the long-term benefits.

Bone broth is rich in collagen and proline, which are both shown to help hydrate your skin, reduce wrinkles and help you rebuild new skin.

Learn more about bone broth for skin health in this article.

For Proper Sleep and to Reduce Inflammation

For proper sleep, you must drink bone broth one hour before bed. The proteins (glycine) in bone broth are shown to improve the quality of your sleep by decreasing your core body temperature.

Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter (much like GABA) which helps you relax and unwind after a long day.

If you a struggling to find a quality one, read my guide on where to buy bone broth.

To Help Control Your Blood Sugar After Carbs

To control your blood sugar you must drink bone broth before your meal.

An amino acid called glycine is shown to decrease your blood sugar response to carbohydrate rich meals. Glycine is used to treat type 2 diabetes with positive results. You can learn more about glycine benefits here.

Properly made bone broth has 3 g of glycine per serving. The perfect amount to blunt a blood glucose response to carbs.

Protein and Nutrients For Fasting

A bone broth fast is a regime where you drink bone broth during the day rather than consume solid food. Bone broth gives you electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, while acting as a digestive aid.

For best results fasting, drink one cup of bone broth in place of meals. Be sure to consult a doctor before doing this.

Can I do a Bone Broth Detox?

You can try to use bone broth to detox your body, but keep in mind that there is really not way to properly detox your body. Anyone selling you something that says it can is lying to you.

Your liver will naturally detox your body as that is what it's designed to do. You can help your liver by drinking bone broth because glycine helps with liver function.

What is a convenient bone broth to drink on the go?

A convenient bone broth to drink on the go is Bluebird Provisions Instant Bone Broth Powder. This product is a dehydrated chicken broth that you can take with you wherever you go.

Simply mix 2 TBSP powder in your mug, pour boiling water ontop, stir and you have a delicious warm beverage with 12 g protein.

Is it best to drink bone broth on an empty stomach?

Yes, it is very beneficial to drink bone broth on an empty stomach or during a fast because it has lots of gut healing nutrients and electrolytes for all day energy. Doing it before food enters your system kickstarts your digestive juices in your gut to better handle incoming food for the day. Drinking bone broth really isn't recommended at any specific time but most people report that it even helps them sleep.

Read my report on the global bone broth market to learn more. 

Should you drink bone broth every day?

You should drink bone broth everyday for best results, however, we know that is not always convenient or possible. That is why we recommend 5 servings or cups per week. This covers your nutritional bases. For convenience, you can try an Instant Bone Broth Powder like the one made by Bluebird Provisions.

How long should you wait to eat after drinking bone broth?

You should wait 20-30 minutes to eat after drinking bone broth. People who drank chicken broth before eating a meal at a buffet found that it curbed food cravings and made them eat less. The amino acids will satisfy your cravings and set your stomach up to digest the incoming food.

Can you drink bone broth after a meal?

You can drink bone broth after a meal to soothe your digestion. It is optimal to drink it before your meal, but don't sweat the details if you forget. Simply drink it after your meal and you'll get most of the same benefits.

Should I drink bone broth hot or cold?

You should drink bone broth hot if possible. The heat is shown to promote proper digestion as it enters your GI tract. Also, hot beverages are shown to relax you better than cold ones. So if you want to optimal benefits, you need to drink it warm.

How much bone broth should I drink daily?

You should drink 1 cup of bone broth daily to get started. From here you should pay attention to how you look and feel after 5 days. Do you feel great? Drink more. Don't feel great? Drink less per serving. You can safely drink as much bone broth as you want per day.

What are the benefits of drinking bone both for breakfast?

The benefits of drinking bone broth for breakfast are that it sets up your digestion and gut health for the day. It stimulates gastric juices to digest incoming food. It also gives you electrolytes to hydrate you and provide stable, all day energy without the caffeine crash. Finally, it has 12 g of protein so that you start the day with a protein rich food to fuel your busy day.

Can you drink chicken broth instead?

You can drink chicken broth instead of bone broth, but it will not help you in the same way. For example, chicken broth has no protein or collagen since it is not cooked for long enough.

Chicken broth does not have amino acids like glycine, proline and glutamine. These are responsible for bone broth's healing capacities.

Finally, the sourcing of chicken broth leaves a lot to be desired. You cannot trust most of the store bought chicken broth's because they are full of preservatives and sourced from factory farmed operations that treat animals poorly.

Closing Thoughts

These are the best times to drink bone broth based on your specific needs. In reality, you should drink bone broth whenever you can work it into your day.

The above infographic gives you specific times if you want to optimize your bone broth nutrition.

And if you need a recommendation to get started, try the low sodium chicken bone broth from Bluebird Provisions. You can find it on Amazon prime for free shipping. 

When do you prefer to drink bone broth? Leave a comment and let me know.

How often should you drink bone broth?

You should drink bone broth as often as it fits your lifestyle. If you enjoy the taste than you can drink it daily for best results. If not, aim for 4-5 servings per week. You can use it in your cooking to get more into your day.

For example, you can cook your rice in it, sauté vegetables or stir frys, make sauces and soups and use it in salad dressings.

What happens drinking bone broth for a week?

Drinking bone broth for a week will have many benefits to your health. Many guests experience better digestion and more stable energy throughout the day. Skin blemishes begin to clear up and joints and tendons start to feel better. It is important to note that this beverage is not miracle cure. It takes time for it to work and you may not get the same benefits as your friend using it.

Do not get discouraged and remember that everyone responds to foods differently.

Disclaimer: this information is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the FDA or CFIA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or healthcare issue. Please consult your primary care physician for advise on any of this.