If you drink bone broth, will it break your fast? Today, I'm diving into all the details you need to know about Intermittent Fasting and bone broth.
Does Bone Broth Break a Fast?
When determining if something will break a fast, one of the hallmark considerations is looking at whether or not it will raise insulin (our storing hormone). Bone broth is primarily made up of collagen. Collagen breaks down into individual amino acids within the GI tract. Whether or not amino acids (or protein) will cause insulin to spike will depend on a few factors:
if carbohydrates are eaten alongside the protein/amino acids
if you are already insulin resistant (have high insulin levels)
Assuming bone broth is consumed on its own (meaning without any carbohydrates) and you're already very insulin sensitive, new research is showing that it might not break your fast.(1) However, considering about 100 million Americans have some degree of insulin resistance (2), sipping on bone broth could still result in an insulin response. Not to mention, proteins and amino acids will halt the Migrating Motor Complex (the gut cleaning process that is only turned on while fasting).
With all of these variables considered, if using a time restricted, short term Intermittent Fast (such as 12, 16, 18 or 20 hour fast), you can err on the safe side and keep your bone broth to the eating window.
Is Bone Broth Good For You?
Bone broth is rich in gelatin and collagen. Because collagen makes up our connective tissues, studies have found that consuming collagen can aid in decreased skin wrinkles (3), decreased joint pain (4) and osteoporosis prevention (5). From a weight loss perspective, consuming collagen alongside your usual protein sources can help significantly boost satiety and prevent snacking later in the day.(6)
How to Drink Bone Broth For Weight Loss
If you're looking to achieve a weight loss goal, bone broth can be a fantastic tool to help you achieve it! Not only does it contain collagen which can aid in boosting satiety (the sensation of fullness) and therefore prevent snacking -- it's also incredibly simple to add into your meals! I love using bone broth as the base of my soups, stews and chili to add a significant boost of collagen. You can also use bone broth in sauces (such as tomato sauces or curries) that usually require a liquid base. Just remember to keep it to your eating window if you're using Intermittent Fasting.
However, there are quite a few bone broths on the market that don't actually contain any collagen! These low quality broths are typically made with meat "extracts" that add the flavor of bone broth without the collagen. You'll often see this in bouillon cubes or other low quality liquid broths. These bone broths will not give you the collagen perks that you're looking for.
I personally love making my own bone broth. But if you don't have the 20+ hours to simmer down the bones and extract the collagen, you can use my favorite bone broth company called Kettle & Fire. Kettle & Fire uses grass-fed bones that have been simmered for over 20 hours in order to maximize the collagen content.
You can test out Kettle & Fire for 20% off PLUS free shipping using my discount code "AUTUMNBATES" at checkout HERE.*
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Your Nutritionist,
Autumn
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