Does Bone Broth Help with Joint Pain and Arthritis?

If your knees ache on the stairs or your hands feel stiff in the morning, the idea that a daily cup of bone broth might help is appealing. But bone broth has not been shown to reliably relieve joint pain or treat arthritis. Some research supports certain collagen supplements for osteoarthritis symptoms; that is a different claim from saying broth has the same effect.

Why bone broth gets linked to joint health

Collagen is a structural protein found in cartilage, tendons and other connective tissues. Cooking bones and connective tissue releases some of that collagen into the liquid as gelatin. This is where the joint-health claim starts: broth contains material related to the tissues we want to protect.

Eating collagen does not send it straight to a sore knee, though. Digestion breaks it down into smaller peptides and amino acids. Your body can use these nutrients, but providing building blocks is not the same as demonstrating cartilage repair or pain relief. Harvard Health explains how dietary collagen is broken down.

What the osteoarthritis research actually shows

There is some encouraging evidence for collagen products. A 2023 review of four trials involving 507 people with knee osteoarthritis found that collagen peptides reduced pain compared with placebo. However, all four trials were judged to have a high risk of bias, so the authors called for better studies to confirm the findings.

A broader 2024 review of 35 trials of collagen derivatives also found benefits for osteoarthritis: small to moderate improvements in pain and joint function compared with control treatments. The researchers rated the evidence as moderate certainty for pain and high certainty for function. These findings deserve attention, but they concern particular collagen preparations, not ordinary bone broth.

Feeling less pain and finding movement easier are worthwhile outcomes. They do not, on their own, establish that damaged cartilage has regrown or that arthritis has been reversed. Nor can findings in knee osteoarthritis be assumed to apply to every cause of joint pain.

Why a cup of broth is different

Clinical trials use defined products and doses. Broth varies with the ingredients, cooking method and dilution. In a 2019 study analysing bone broths, researchers found substantial variation in collagen-related amino acids across different preparations. The standardised broths contained lower amounts of the key amino acids than a 20-gram dose of the reference collagen supplements.

That was a composition study, not a trial of arthritis treatment. It helps explain why supplement findings cannot simply be transferred to broth. It also does not mean that 20 grams is a recommended dose for arthritis. There is no established number of cups, or proven timeline, for relieving joint pain with bone broth. Our article on how long it takes to see results from bone broth explores that expectation.

What about rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks joint tissues. Osteoarthritis research cannot tell us whether broth will control that process. Bone broth is not an established treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and should not replace prescribed medication.

Early treatment matters because joint damage can begin early in the disease. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases explains rheumatoid arthritis treatment, including medicines that can slow or prevent damage.

What helps more reliably with joint problems?

Start by finding out what is causing the pain. For osteoarthritis, established care includes suitable exercise, strengthening the muscles around affected joints, physiotherapy and weight management when appropriate. Pain medicines and other treatments can be considered with your clinician. The NIAMS guide to osteoarthritis care outlines these options.

If pain keeps returning, disrupts sleep or limits everyday activities, arrange an assessment rather than waiting for a dietary change to work. A hot, swollen joint, or joint pain with fever or feeling unwell, needs urgent medical advice, as the NHS joint-pain guidance explains.

Where broth fits into everyday eating

Broth can still be a useful, enjoyable food. Sip it if you like it, or use it to make a soup with vegetables, beans or meat. Our beef bone broth and chicken bone broth are options for the kitchen; neither should be treated as an arthritis remedy. You can explore the bone broth collection and read about drinking bone broth every day for practical advice on ingredients, salt and storage.

If joint relief is your main reason for buying broth, the evidence does not justify a promise of less pain. Enjoy it for the flavour and the meals it helps you make, while giving persistent joint problems the care they need.