Bone Broth vs Collagen - Pros & Cons Of Each

Just ask any wellness expert and they'll tell you for free that people can't get enough of bone broth and collagen supplements right now. But, what's the difference between taking a collagen supplement and drinking bone broth? This is a distinction that not many people can make due to all the (sometimes misleading) information and advertising available on these products. Truth is, both of these have their own advantages and disadvantages, so taking them should never be an either or scenario. 

If you want a better understanding of how bone broth and collagen work so you can get the most out of them, you've come to the right place. 

What Is Bone Broth? 

First, it's important to understand what these two nutritional health aides are. Bone broth is made by boiling the bones of animals, including bone marrow and connective tissues like ligaments and tendons. Lots of nutrients are extracted from the ligaments and tendons during this process and the resulting liquid is what we know as bone broth. This can be consumed in liquid form on its own, or used as a base for soups. In order to make bone broth powder which a lot of people use for smoothies, the bone broth liquid is dehydrated into powder form.

While bone broth is highly nutritious and full of vitamins and amino acids, the ready-made varieties that people buy at the store are almost always made from chicken bones which only contain two types of collagen. You see, there are 5 main types of collagen that come from four different sources, including chicken, beef, fish and egg shell membrane. All of these collagen sources are different and they do different things for the body. Type 1 is sourced from fish and primarily supports hair, nail and skin. Type 2 is sourced from chicken and primarily supports the immune system, joint and cartilage health and the gut lining. Type 3 is sourced from beef and supports arterial walls and cardiovascular health. Type 5 (or V as it's written) is sourced from egg shells and supports cell membrane strength. Type 10 (or X) is also sourced from chicken and supports bone formation.

What Can You Use It For? 

You'd use something like bone broth everyday for general health. That's why it's often referred to as a general tonic. It's good for the digestive tract, the central nervous system and your skin.   

What Is Collagen? 

Collagen is the protein component of bone broth which has been isolated out of the bone broth liquid. As a result, it's higher in protein and useful as a treatment. 

What Can You Use It For? 

Collagen is great to take for when you want to overcome a particular ailment such as aching joints or leaky gut syndrome. Or maybe you want to prevent wrinkles or sleep better, collagen is good for all of these applications.

Bone Broth: Pros and Cons

As mentioned, there are pros and cons to bone broth and collagen alike. Why is this important? Because it'll empower you to use them appropriately. 

Pros

What makes bone broth protein so different from a typical collagen supplement is that it contains a family of compounds known as glycosaminoglycans which include glucosamine, chondroidant and hyaluronic acid. These three compounds are known to help support collagen in the body as well as our overall health, mobility and flexibility. 

• Bone broth offers excellent support for the joints and connective tissues in and around the joints.
• It's a great source of protein for people trying to lose weight, because it's very satiating but also low in calories.
• It helps to reduce inflammation and heal the gut, specifically the intestinal lining which is crucial for anyone dealing with leaky gut.
• Bone broth contains extra amino acids that collagen doesn't have because it's made with all the components you'd get from different types of animal sources. 
• Bone broth contains both collagen and gelatine. 

Cons

• Because most bone broth protein powders are mainly sourced from chicken bones, they're only able to provide type 2 and type 10 collagen. At truLOCAL, we offer not only bone broth from chicken bones, but also from beef (and Alberta region at one time offered bison broth too). 
• It's time-consuming to make at home. (For nutrient-packed bone broth sent right to your door, check out our popular Grass Fed & Finished Beef Bone Broth)
• It can be histamine forming and high in oxalates, so if you have a lot of inflammation or some type of skin issue, bone broth may not be the best option for you. 

Hot Tip! If you're going to make your own bone broth at home, it should consist of things like chicken bones or beef bones, as well as turmeric, ginger, parsley, and other vegetables like beets in order to beef up its nutritional value. You should then cook it for a minimum of 8 hours to get all of the peptides from the bones. Adding beets and antioxidants to your bone broth recipe will help to support and optimize collagen production in the body, while ingredients like turmeric help to fight inflammation. 

Collagen: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Collagen is commonly utilized as a skincare ingredient in anti-aging products due to its vitality enhancing effects. It helps with everything, from your skin to your hair and nails. But it's even more beneficial to certain parts of the body when it's consumed internally. 
• Collagen supplements can help to repair the digestive tract, especially if you suffer from conditions like leaky gut and IBS. 
• You can put it into your soups and smoothies and it won't change the taste because it's tasteless. 
• About 30 to 40% of the protein in our body is made up of collagen so it's super important. 

Cons

• It's not as nutritious as bone broth. 

Can You Take Collagen and Bone Broth Together? 

The good news is that you can take both of these together. A scoop of bone broth powder and a scoop of collagen powder makes for a simple and easy smoothie that'll help you start the day and provide you with sustained energy thanks to the protein boost. Adding a multi collagen powder to your smoothie in addition to bone broth powder or home-made bone broth, enables you to get all 5 types of collagen that your body needs to thrive. 

The Verdict? 

If you're looking to seal up the gut lining and reduce inflammation the cheapest way possible, opt for collagen. You can take it on the go and it'll dissolve easily. But, if you want all the nutrients provided by high quality protein, then bone broth is the way to go. That way, you know you're sustaining your health and treating the body at the same time. 

Posted on November 21st, 2023