Collagen protein powder, bone broth and gelatine 

 

Is commercial bone broth better to use than stock?

Is bone broth a superfood packed with protein? The truth is commercial bone broths still rely heavily on salt for flavour and give you a salt overload. Collagen is the protein in bone broth and it is a poor quality protein. The amino acids present (these give protein structure) are not critical in a well-rounded adequate eating plan; your body can easily manufacture these amino acids from other protein sources. The amino acids in broth are not indispensable. Bone broth doesn’t contain the indispensable essential amino acids, those your body can not manufacture.　

Perhaps there is something, as yet unidentified, within a home-cooked bone broth that adds health to your body? Time will tell but for now, in general cooking, use broth for flavour not nutritional content.　

Bone broth and gelatin: both contain collagen protein

Did you know that gelatine is basically the next step along in the manufacturing process from bone broth? Gelatine is also made from cooked animal carcass (bone, skin, hair, gristle, tendons and other inedible left-over animal bits). It contains collagen protein.

Think of collagen protein powder as dehydrated concentrated animal carcass broth. It's popularly promoted as bone broth because that seems more palatable than the phrase carcass broth.

About 30 years ago, before the internet, weight watchers added gelatine powder to feel full and aid weight loss. Beauty routines promoted gelatine for strong nails and wrinkle-free skin. Gelatine didn’t live up to its sticky claims and the fad that died out. Will collagen powder follow the same path?

 
Apart from cooking, when are broth and gelatine useful? 

Both bone broth and gelatine are useful additions in a highly restricted diet based solely on Very Low Energy Diet (VLED or VLCD) meal replacement weight loss drinks. These strict diets limit the range, quality and amount of protein consumed. A top up of dispensable amino acids found in gelatine improves the overall protein quality because the body doesn’t quite have enough dietary protein to draw on to manufacture the extra dispensable amino acids.

If you want or need to add a protein powder, seek a pure egg white powder for a more complete (amino acid) protein profile.