Bone Broth Fast: Benefits & How To Start

If you’re looking for a guide to fasting with bone broth, you’re in the right place!

With the popularity of both fasting and bone broth growing over the past few years, some people wonder how adding bone broth to their fasting routine may provide additional benefits.

In this article, we’ll discuss the common types of fasting, the nutrient profile of bone broth, the potential benefits and risks of bone broth fasting, and how to start fasting with bone broth if you want to try it!

What is a bone broth fast?

Bone broth fast: a type of modified intermittent fasting during which bone broth is consumed throughout the day in place of food, usually for 1-5 days.

Typical guidelines for fasting with bone broth:

1. Eliminate all solid foods during the fast
2. Consume 12-19 ounces of bone broth five times per day for up to 5 days
3. Add a source of fat, herbs, spices, and salt to the bone broth for additional nutrients (optional)
4. Consume water, tea, coffee, and other calorie-free beverages for additional hydration

Typical guidelines for time-restricted eating with bone broth:

1. Consume bone broth during your fasting window to maintain energy and electrolyte levels and minimize hunger
2. Consume your normal meal intake during your eating window

Does bone broth break a fast?

Bone broth will break a fast because it contains calories from protein, usually 40-50 per cup. However, because the calories are low, you may still experience the same or similar benefits of typical fasting, especially during longer fasts, like 24 hours or more. If your body is in ketosis, bone broth will help maintain ketosis.

How many calories break a fast?

Technically, any calories at all break a fast, though some experts believe that a negligible amount of calories (like from tea or coffee) won’t interrupt the benefits of fasting and can be included in a typical fast.

What is fasting?

Fasting refers to a period of time in which eating is restricted. Most people technically fast every day between their last meal of the day and their first meal of the following day, with the majority of the fast occurring overnight while asleep.

There are also defined types of fasting, or intermittent fasting (IF), with guidelines on the number of hours, days, and even calories to consume as you’ll see explained below.

Common types of intermittent fasting

• Time-Restricted Eating: fasting for 10-16 hours per day with the remaining time available for eating; the most common is 16:8 (16 hours of fasting with an 8-hour eating window)
• Alternate-Day Fasting: restricting calories to 500 every other day and eating your normal amount of calories on the alternate days; some people choose to completely avoid solid foods on the fasting days
• The 5:2 Method: fasting for 2 non-consecutive days per week and eating normally on the other 5 days; some people choose to eat around 500 calories on the fasting days
• Eat-Stop-Eat: fasting for 24 hours once or twice per week
• The Warrior Diet: fasting for 20 hours with a 4-hour eating window at night, during which you must eat all of your required nutrients; some people choose to eat raw fruits and vegetables during the 20-hour fasting period
• Multi-Day Fasting: fasting for 48 to 72 hours at a time, while consuming only water, coffee, tea, and other calorie-free beverages

Fasting benefits

Here are some potential benefits of fasting:

• Promotes fat loss and weight loss (4, 5, 6)
• Reduces fasting insulin level and insulin resistance (5, 6)
• Reduces cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk (5)
• Promotes autophagy which may improve immune function and protect against viruses (6)
• May protect against developing neurological disorders, like ischemic stroke or Alzheimer’s disease (7)
• Alters the gut microbiome favorably and increases glutathione production which improves immune function (8)
• May improve the gut microbiome and reduce inflammation in people with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder (9)
• Decreases inflammation associated with obesity and metabolic disorders (6)

What is bone broth?

Bone broth, or stock, is made by simmering roasted bones for several hours to extract the connective tissue and collagen to create a thick broth that can be used as a base for gravy or sauce, to deglaze a pan, or even to drink by the cupful! Many bone broth recipes also include vegetables and herbs to add flavor and additional nutrients.

Nutrition information

Nutrition facts (per cup):

• Calories: 40-50
• Fat: 0-1 g
• Cholesterol: 0-35 mg
• Sodium: 90-325 mg
• Carbohydrate: 0-2 g
• Protein: 6-10 g
• Calcium: 3-30 mg
• Potassium: 80-375 mg

Other nutritional compounds:

• Collagen: contains amino acids (alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamine, glycine, leucine, lysine, proline, and serine)
• Glucosamine: compound found in cartilage that cushions joints
• Glycosaminoglycans: chondroitin, hyaluronic acid

Is bone broth a complete protein?

While bone broth does contain protein, it is not a complete protein. A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids (1).

• Essential amino acids present: leucine and lysine
• Essential amino acids missing: histidine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine

Bone broth also contains conditionally essential amino acids. Conditionally essential amino acids are usually made in adequate quantities by the body except in times of growth, stress, injury, illness, and pregnancy.

During these times, the body requires greater amounts which must be obtained from food. So, bone broth may be beneficial for healing and growing since its amino acid profile is supportive of these conditions (2, 3).

• Conditionally essential amino acids present: arginine, glutamine, glycine, proline, and serine

If bone broth is the main source of nutrition, like during a fast, it won’t provide all of the amino acids the human body needs which is important to keep in mind when considering the length of a fast.

Bone broth benefits

Here are some potential benefits of consuming bone broth:

• Glycine and collagen may play a role in reducing inflammation (10, 11, 12)
• Improves immune function due to the presence of glutamine, glycine, and proline which influence B cell, T cell, and macrophage activity (3, 13, 14)
• Repairs the gut lining and maintains the integrity of the intestinal barrier (2, 15)
• Glycine, proline, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid may improved skin health and wound healing (16, 17)
• Glycine may improve cognition and slow down age-related cognitive decline (12)
• Glycine and collagen may improve joint and connective tissue health (18, 19)

Benefits of fasting with bone broth

Here are some potential benefits of fasting with bone broth:

• Helps maintain energy and electrolyte levels and combat hunger
• Provides digestive rest to help with recovery from an autoimmune flare, cold, flu, or food poisoning
• Helps prevent muscle wasting by providing a source of protein and calories
• Provides electrolytes, like sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, which are important for hydration and muscle and nerve function (20)
• Glycine, which is found in bone broth, is shown to improve sleep quality (21)

Risks of fasting and who should avoid it

Fasting can increase your risk for electrolyte abnormalities, headaches, altered mental status, muscle cramps, fatigue, fast or irregular heartbeat, altered blood pressure, and general weakness.

If you have any of these symptoms or experience significant hunger, you should discontinue the fast and resume your regular meals. If eating solid food doesn’t resolve your symptoms, you should seek medical care.

Since a bone broth fast doesn’t provide adequate calories, carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, or minerals, it is not appropriate if you meet the following criteria (unless monitored by a physician):

• Children and teens under the age of 18
• Pregnant or trying to become pregnant
• Currently breastfeeding
• Experience hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or have diabetes
• Seizure disorder
• History of or current eating disorder
• Underweight or malnourished
• Reliance on medications that require solid food for proper utilization
• Exercise at a moderate or high intensity and unable to discontinue during the fast

How to start fasting with bone broth

Steps for fasting with bone broth:

1. Purchase or make your bone broth: for each day, you’ll need 8-12 cups (8-10 for women, 10-12 for men) which you can divide into five “meals” (12-19 ounces each)
2. At three of your “meals”, add sea salt
3. At two of your “meals”, add sea salt + ghee or coconut oil + herbs, turmeric, and/or ginger

Depending on your goals for the fast and how you feel during it, you can fast with bone broth for 1-5 days safely but should resume your regular meals after that.

Best time to drink bone broth while fasting

Aim to consume bone broth within an 8- to 10-hour window (like 10 am-6 pm or 8 am-6 pm), while consuming water, coffee, and tea during the other 14-16 hours.

For a modified fast, you can eat your regular meals within an 8- to 10-hour window and consume bone broth during the other 14-16 hours if a typical fast is too difficult to maintain.

How to make bone broth

Bone broth recipes require water and animal bones with the option to add seasonings and vegetables, like sea salt, herbs, carrots, celery, parsley, cilantro, ginger, turmeric, and leafy greens. 

Some recipes also include apple cider vinegar as it’s thought to help with the extraction of minerals from the bones. You can cook it on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker or slow cooker. Here is a basic recipe and links to more detailed recipes.

Basic bone broth recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 whole carcass (chicken or turkey) or 3-4 bones (beef or lamb)
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Optional vegetables, herbs, and seasonings: carrots, celery, parsley, cilantro, ginger, turmeric, leafy greens
• 3-4 quarts of water

Directions:

• For the stovetop or slow cooker, add all ingredients to the stockpot and bring to a boil; scoop off any foam or scum that floats to the top using a ladle; turn the heat to low and simmer for 24 hours or transfer to a slow cooker crock and cook on low for 24-36 hours; remove bones and vegetables, then strain with a fine mesh sieve into another large pot or bowl
• For the pressure cooker, add all ingredients to the pot, lock the lid into place, and flip the vent valve to “sealing”; select high pressure and set time to 120 minutes; allow pressure to release naturally, remove bones and vegetables, then strain with a fine mesh sieve into another large pot or bowl

Other recipes:

• Chicken Bone Broth (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)
• Chicken Bone Broth (Instant Pot Pressure Cooker)

Where to buy bone broth

Most supermarkets carry bone broth, or you can find it online directly from brands or distributors, like Thrive Market, Kettle & Fire, Bare Bones Broth, Fond Bone Broth, Bonafide Provisions, Epic Provisions, The Osso Good Company.

Storage and usage tips

Transfer broth to glass jars and refrigerate until a temperature of 40°F has been reached. You can continue to store broth in the fridge for a total of five days or freeze it for up to 6 months.

If you plan to freeze your broth, do not fill your jars to the top – leave two inches of space between the broth and the lid as freezing can expand the liquid. To thaw, transfer the broth to the fridge overnight, heat it in the microwave, or run the jar under warm water.

Final thoughts

If you have been interested in trying intermittent fasting, incorporating bone broth may help ease the transition to typical fasting. Similarly, if you are already on a fasting regimen, adding bone broth may provide additional health benefits without taking away the benefits of fasting.

As always, it’s important to monitor how you feel while fasting and modify or stop if you notice negative side effects and consult your physician if you aren’t recovering after making changes.

Whether or not you are fasting, bone broth can be a great supplemental food to include in your diet to improve gut health, sleep quality, immune function, and healing from infection or injury. With easy recipes and many pre-made options available, bone broth is an accessible tool to improve your health!

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