Bone Broth Diet for Weight Loss: How it Works and What to Eat?

The Bone Broth Diet combines a low-carb, Paleo diet, intermittent fasting, and drinking a lot of bone broth.

This article will explain what the Bone Broth Diet is, how effective it is for weight loss, what foods to eat and avoid, and the potential drawbacks of following it.

It is not suitable for everyone and is an extremely restricting diet plan. But first, let’s define the Bone Broth Diet and explain how this 21-day diet plan works.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. For more information, please see our disclosure.

What exactly is a bone broth diet?

The Bone Broth Diet, developed by naturopathic doctor Kellyann Petrucci, is a 21-day weight loss plan that combines a low-carb, Paleo diet with intermittent fasting.

The diet consists of five days of Paleo eating and two days of fasting. You drink one to three cups of bone broth per day while eating Paleo five days a week. On fasting days you drink three to six cups of bone broth.

The Bone Broth Diet for weight loss expands on the popular Paleo Diet by incorporating two days of intermittent fasting.

How does the 21-day Bone Broth Diet work?

To follow the Bone Broth Diet, choose two nonconsecutive fasting days per week. The remaining five days of the week are non-fasting days.

Fasting days

On fasting days, you have two choices:

On fasting days, you will consume only 300-500 calories in either case.

Non-fasting days

On the five non-fasting days of the week, you can choose from a list of permitted foods divided into protein, vegetables, fruit, and fat categories.

Here’s an example:

After the 21-days of following the diet plan

After completing the 21-day Bone Broth Diet plan, you will transition to the 80/20 plan to help you maintain your weight.

This means you eat approved foods 80 percent of the time. The remaining 20% of the time, you can deviate from the diet and eat foods such as dairy products and other foods that are not permitted while following the 21-day diet plan.

What do you eat on the Bone Broth Diet?

Foods to eat

• Vegetables: non-starchy vegetables such as greens, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, and other non-starchy vegetables.
• Fruits: berries, apples, citrus fruit, kiwi, melons – just remember one portion a day.
• Protein: chicken, beef, fish, eggs.
• Healthy fats: nuts, olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, and ghee (type of clarified butter).
• Condiments: salt, spices, vinegar, salsa.
• Beverages: water, coffee, tea.

Don’t forget about the bone broth, which is the foundation of the Bone Broth Diet. It is recommended that you make your own bone broth, preferably using bones from organic, pasture-raised animals.

If you buy bone broth in a store, make sure it’s bone broth and not stock. Bone broth has been slowly simmered for 24 hours or more, leaching key nutrients from the bones, whereas stock has been cooked for a much shorter time, resulting in less collagen and gelatin.

If you’ve never made bone broth before, here’s a basic bone broth recipe from Nourished Kitchen!

Dr. Kellyann also sells dehydrated bone broth, and you can buy 100 percent grass-fed collagen bone broth powder packets from Amazon here.

Foods to avoid

• Refined fats: vegetable fats such as margarine and canola oil.
• Grains: barley, wheat, rye, and all glutein-containg grains, also you should avoid gluten-free grains like rice, corn, quinoa, oats.
• Sugaar and sugar substitutes: all forms of refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.
• Processed fruits: sweetened fruit, fruit juice and dried fruits.
• Legumes: beans, peanuts, soy products and peanut butter.
• Potatoes: except sweet potatoes.
• Dairy products: milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter (except ghee).
• Beverages: diet and regular soda, alcoholic beverages.

The Paleo Diet is essentially outlined in the preceding list. You may not need to eliminate all of these foods while on the Bone Broth Diet.

The basic idea is to eliminate all inflammatory and junk foods that do not provide nutritional benefits.

Sample bone broth diet plan for non-fasting and fasting day

Sample bone broth fasting day:

• Breakfast: 1 cup bone broth (plus water throughout the day).
• Snack: 1 cup bone broth (herbal tea with no added sweetener can be consumed too).
• Lunch: 1 cup bone broth ( you can add one tsp of MCT oil, ghee or coconut oil).
• Snack: 1 cup of bone broth.
• Dinner: 1 cup of bone broth.
• Snack: 1 cup of bone broth.

Sample eating day:

• Breakfast: eggs benedict
• Snack: 1 cup bone broth
• Lunch: shrimp, avocado, mango and fennel salad
• Snack: 1 cup bone broth
• Dinner: grilled pineapple chicken
• Snack: 1 cup bone broth

How effective is the Bone Broth Diet for weight loss?

According to Petrucci’s book “Bone Broth Diet: Lose Up To 15 Pounds, 4 Inches,” the Bone Broth Diet encourages weight loss.

Furthermore, the diet’s creator, Kellyann Petrucci, conducted three unpublished studies reporting that participants “lost 15 pounds and up to 4 inches un their measurements”.

However, the aforementioned study is severely constrained in several aspects.

For example, the author did not disclose average weight loss, there is no comparison of the Bone Broth Diet to a typical low-calorie diet, and there is no long-term evidence on whether individuals were able to keep the weight off.

No other research has been conducted to determine whether the Bone Broth Diet aids in weight loss. This leaves gaps in the research needed to establish if the Bone Broth Diet is as successful as its author claims.

However, this is a calorie-restricted diet, and the possibility of short-term weight loss is significant, as with any calorie-restricted diet.

Following a low-carb, high-protein diet, such as the Paleo diet, combined with intermittent fasting, will also result in short-term weight loss for the majority of people.

Aside from the fact that there has been no research on this diet, it is based on other approaches that have been studied:

Low-carb vs. low-fat diet: A clinical trial published in Nutrition & Metabolism in 2020 investigated the differences between a low-carb versus a low-fat diet.

Researchers discovered that people who followed a low-carb diet lost three times more body fat than those who followed a low-fat diet.

Paleo diet: A 2008 study looked at the effect of a paleo diet on healthy participants over the course of three weeks. The participants shed 5 pounds (2.3 kg) and 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) off their waistlines, according to the results.

However, according to a recent study of the Paleo diet, following this diet may result in short-term weight loss, and the diet is also “over-hyped and under-researched.”

Intermittent fasting: In a study of five trials, two found that intermittent fasting resulted in higher weight loss in overweight adults than continuous calorie restriction, while three found that both methods resulted in equivalent weight loss.

Summary – How helpful is the bone broth diet for weight loss?

The average weight loss on the Bone Broth Diet and its long-term efficiency is unknown. Nonetheless, combining the three dietary approaches mentioned above may assist you in losing weight.

Other potential benefits of the Bone Broth Diet

The author of this diet claims that, in addition to weight loss, the Bone Broth Diet promotes younger-looking skin, improved gut health, less inflammation, and less joint pain.

Younger-looking skin

One of the claims is that the collagen in bone broth can help reverse the effects of aging. Collagen supplement research is promising in terms of its capacity to visibly minimize the indications of skin aging.

However, no published study has looked into whether drinking bone broth can help minimize skin wrinkles since the collagen content of bone broth varies.

Improved gut health

Bone broth proponents believe that it can enhance digestion by aiding in the healing of the gut lining.

Some data suggest that collagen breakdown products, such as the amino acids glycine and glutamine, may benefit gut health by strengthening the mucosal lining of the digestive tract.

However, more research is required to investigate these claims.

Reduced inflammation

Obesity is associated with an increase in the release of inflammatory compounds. A weight loss plan may aid in the reduction of inflammation.

Additionally, following the Bone Broth Diet and consuming healthier foods may help lower inflammation.

Less joint pain

One reason people may become overweight as they get older is that their joints develop wear and tear, becoming harder to move. As a result, they might exercise less and sit more. As a result, losing weight may help to reduce joint pain.

A few human studies suggest that collagen supplements may aid in the reduction of joint pain. However, no studies on bone broth collagen have been conducted, so it is unknown whether daily consumption helps reduce joint pain.

Potential downsides

For many people, drastically reducing carbs can lead to a slew of problems such as headaches, fatigue, bad breath, and weakness.

Because the eating style is restrictive, you may miss out on certain nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in legumes or whole grains.

People with sensitivities may want to avoid dairy and whole grains, but there is no reason for the average person to avoid these nutrient-dense food groups.

We should also mention that a diet based on drinking a lot of bone broth is not suitable for vegetarians.

Furthermore, a small percentage of sensitive people may be unable to tolerate bone broth, resulting in symptoms such as digestive upset or headache.

More research is needed to confirm potential causes of broth intolerance. The diet’s author suggests that it could be due to the fat – which you can skim from the top when it’s cold – or high levels of the amino acid glutamine.

You must also account for fasting days; despite the recent popularity of intermittent fasting, restricting calories or refraining from eating altogether can cause dizziness or sickness in some people. It can also be an issue if you intend to exercise.

Here is more on the possible side effects of intermittent fasting!

Before going on the bone broth diet, as with any other dietary modification, consult with your doctor or a licensed healthcare practitioner.

The material provided is not intended to be a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your physician and should not be interpreted as particular medical advice.

Who should not try the Bone Broth Diet

This diet is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, immunocompromised individuals, people with diabetes, GI disorders, a history of eating disorders, or anyone who is on a variety of medications.

A few suggestions to make your bone broth diet plan easier

Choose a period of 21 days to execute your bone broth diet

It is best to choose a time when you have no other life stresses. The reason for this is that dieting and fasting put stress on the body. Exercise, deadlines, work stress, and family issues are all factors.

So, try to choose a 21-day period when you have less work or home stress and more free time.

Pick two non-consecutive fasting days per week

This is verry impotant! These two days are the days on which you base the rest of your week. These should be low-activity days with no exercise.

You should avoid having a hectic work or personal schedule on these days as well.

Remove any triggering foods

This is an often overlooked aspect of any diet. Any diet will fail if you have sweets and ice cream starring at you every time you open the freezer.

As a result, it is best to eliminate any triggering foods that do not meet the regimen. Or put them all in your storage locker, away from the kitchen and out of sight.

The bottom line on the Bone Broth Diet

The Bone Broth Diet is a 21-day diet plan that combines a low carb, Paleo diet 5 days a week with 2 days of bone broth fasting per week.

Before attempting the Bone Broth Diet, like with any popular eating plan, consult with your doctor because it requires dramatically lowering calories and fasting.

This diet is beneficial for short-term weight loss since it can help jump-start weight loss. Despite the fact that this dietary approach may aid in weight loss, it is unclear whether it is superior to typical low-calorie diets.

Furthermore, there is no scientific data or clinical research demonstrating the precise effects of this diet, making its efficacy uncertain.

We emphasize again that you should contact your doctor before beginning this diet because there are some drawbacks and some people should not try this way of eating ( details in the above sections).

Finally, you don’t have to follow the Bone Broth Diet to benefit from bone broth! You may use bone broth to make soups and stews, sip it on its own, cook rice or grains in it for a flavor and protein boost, or make sauces like gravy, pan sauce, or reduction sauces.

Read next

• What Is Intermittent Fasting and How Does It Work?
• The Master Cleanse Diet: How It Works, Pros and Cons
• The Best Diet Plans To Achieve Long-Term Weight Loss