How Bone Broth May Actually Improve Your Skin

If you regularly shop at health food stores or on websites such as Thrive Market, you've likely noticed the bone broth trend of the past few years. Perhaps best exemplified by the 2014 opening of Brodo, James Beard Award-winning chef Marco Canora's New York City broth shop, the popularization of this ancestral food really hit high gear about eight years ago. Since then, frozen, refrigerated, and shelf-stable versions of nutrient-rich bone broth have proliferated at grocery stores across the country as well as online, at specialty shops, and even at your local farmer's market.

Widely regarded as a cure-all tonic for relieving cold symptoms, alleviating fatigue, and supporting healthy joint function, bone broth has been endorsed by a variety of celebrities ranging from GOOP founder Gwyneth Paltrow to actress Salma Hayek. Two studies found health benefits to drinking bone broth, including boosting gut health and reducing the incidence of chronic headaches — but did you know it might be good for your skin, too?

If you've ever tried or made bone broth, then you probably know that this long-simmered broth made from bones and meat is rich in vitamins such as A and K2 and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus (via Healthline). Made throughout the ages and across cultures to boost immunity — who doesn't remember sick days sipping homemade chicken soup? — bone broth also contains a key protein that can improve the health of your skin.

That protein is collagen. Found in animal joints and bones, the protein oozes out during the cooking process into a form that your body can use to maintain skin's youthful appearance. According to Health, collagen is found in the middle layer of the skin and gives it its fullness and plumpness. Because our natural collagen production slows as we age, over time we develop fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Consuming animal products that contain collagen, including bone broth, may help skin look younger.

"It's packed with nutrients that provide energy and help make your skin look smoother," dermatologist Debra Jaliman told Health. All the more reason to sip some hot broth on these cold winter days.