The bone broth diet has gained popularity as a low-carb paleo diet with a combination of intermittent fasting. It’s a 21-day diet that claims to reduce 15 pounds, 4 inches, and your wrinkles within the established time. Even though bone broth is an excellent energy source and nourishment, relying solely on it can affect health.
Bone Broth Diet Plan
The bone broth diet works weekly where you choose 2 non-consecutive days to do a mini fast, and for the other 5 days, you don’t fast. You must eat your last meal by 7 pm, whether fasting or not. During the mini-fast days, you consume 300-500 calories. Even though there is no calorie counting during non-fasting days, carbs are limited to increase fat burning. [1]
This diet plan continues for 3 weeks and is as follows:
Mini-fast Days
During the mini-fast, you have 2 options. Either drink six 1 cup portions of bone broth or five 1 cup portions of bone broth, ending the day with a protein-rich snack.
Non-fasting Days
While you’re not fasting, you can choose foods that contain protein, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. Here is a quick breakdown of what the regimen for non-fasting days should look like:
- Breakfast: one portion each of protein, fat, and fruit.
- Lunch: one portion of protein and fat, 2 portions of non-starchy vegetables.
- Dinner: same as lunch.
- Snacks: one cup portion of bone broth, twice a day.
You must avoid grains, refined fats, processed fruits, sugar and its substitutes, potatoes, legumes, dairy products, and beverages. Even though the list is lengthy, you need to follow it strictly to see results in weight loss.
Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet
Kellyann Petrucci is a naturopathic doctor who came up with the bone broth diet, a combination of paleo and low-carb diets while doing intermittent fasting. She has written and compiled the book “Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet,” which has all the necessary diet plans and information regarding the bone broth diet. [2]
Dr. Kellyann has explained why the diet works and has even introduced bone broths with various flavors for people who aren’t sure about making their own bone broth. She claims that the diet relies on 3 pillars: bone broth, intermittent fasting, and anti-inflammation.
Bone Broth Diet Results
Even though no published studies prove the bone broth diet’s results, research shows that following a paleo and low-carb diet and following intermittent fasting positively affects your health and stimulates weight loss. Regardless, you need to discuss your diet plan with your doctor before following any diet plan.
How to Make Bone Broth
While Dr. Kellyann offers bone broth diet bundles available to make the perfect bone broth at home, you can also use your own ingredients for cooking it yourself. All you require is a big pot, some animal bones, water, and some vinegar.
In 4 liters of water, add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1-2 kg of animal bones, and salt and pepper according to your taste. After it reaches a boil, let it simmer and cook for 12 to 24 hours. The longer it cooks, the healthier it is. Afterward, strain it and use it as per your requirement. You can add a mixture and variety of bones and different vegetables to enhance the flavor. [3]
Benefits
Dr. Kellyann claims that the diet is highly beneficial and helps people overcome various health problems they were unaware of.
Controlling Blood Sugar
Research shows that following a low-carb diet compared to a low-fat diet is more effective in improving blood sugar and reducing the medical requirements of type-2 diabetes patients. However, some claims go against this concept considering long-term effects.
Healthier Skin
Dr. Kellyann suggests consuming bone broth reduces wrinkles because of its high collagen content. Many studies support this claim and show that collagen decreases fine wrinkles compared to placebo effects. More detailed research is required to explain this phenomenon better. [4]
Better Gut Health
While some studies show that digesting the collagen may benefit gut health, there haven’t been enough studies conducted for this purpose. Digestion of glycine and glutamine (amino acids) strengthens the mucosal lining of the digestive tract.
Reduces Inflammation
Obesity is linked to higher inflammatory compounds in the body, and bone broth reduces inflammation. Having nutrient-rich vegetables and fish with a high omega-3 content also lowers inflammation. However, further research is required to prove this definitively. [5]
Side Effects of Bone Broth Diet
Even though the charm of losing weight is attractive, there are some downsides to following the bone broth diet. Since the diet is restrictive, you could develop a nutrient deficiency such as calcium and fiber. Moreover, in the beginning, a mixture of intermittent fasting with a low-carb diet may lead to fatigue and nausea.
Many people cannot get used to the bone broth diet and have reactive symptoms such as a disturbed stomach and headaches. There is also a conflicting claim that bones have a high content of lead which is dangerous, but studies show that only a small amount of lead is safe for consumption.
Does the Bone Broth Diet Work?
Dr. Kellyann hasn’t reported any weight loss percentage or compared her diet to other low-calorie diets. Moreover, there is no proof that people who did end up losing weight with the diet managed to maintain it or not. However, there has been research on the 3 types of diets included in the bone broth diet, all of which were found to help in weight loss. Hence, this diet may, in fact, help, but it would be better to follow a low-calorie diet.
The Bottomline
The bone broth diet may help in weight loss, but lacking nutrition and essential vitamins can be difficult to cover without consuming a broad category of foods. However, further research is required to prove how successful this diet is compared to other low-calorie or low-carb diets.
Disclaimer: This article is only a guide. It does not substitute the advice given by your own healthcare professional. Before making any health-related decision, consult your healthcare professional.
Editorial References And Fact-Checking
- Laderer, A., & Cassetty, S. (2021b, June 11). A beginner’s guide to the paleo diet, including how to do it and what to eat. Insider. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.insider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/paleo-diet#:%7E:text=The%20paleo%20diet%20is%20loosely,may%20help%20you%20lose%20weight.
- Inoue, N., Sugihara, F., & Wang, X. (2016). Ingestion of bioactive collagen hydrolysates enhance facial skin moisture and elasticity and reduce facial ageing signs in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study. Journal of the science of food and agriculture, 96(12), 4077–4081. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.7606
- McDonnell, R. K. D. (2020, November 30). Bone Broth: How to Make It and 6 Reasons Why You Should. Healthline. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bone-broth#how-to-make-it
- Inoue, N., Sugihara, F., & Wang, X. (2016). Ingestion of bioactive collagen hydrolysates enhance facial skin moisture and elasticity and reduce facial ageing signs in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study. Journal of the science of food and agriculture, 96(12), 4077–4081. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.7606
