Bone broth has become an increasingly popular health food trend in recent years. Proponents claim that drinking bone broth provides a variety of health benefits, including improving gut health and reducing inflammation. One of the main purported benefits of bone broth is that it contains collagen, an important protein found in connective tissues like bones, skin, and cartilage.
ALDI is a popular grocery store chain that sells a variety of bone broth options. But does ALDI’s bone broth actually contain collagen? Let’s take a closer look.
What is collagen and why is it important?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It makes up a large part of connective tissues and gives structure and strength to things like skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments. Collagen production starts declining around age 25 and this loss of collagen leads to common signs of aging like wrinkles, joint pain, and weakened bones.
Collagen supplements have surged in popularity in recent years due to claims that collagen can improve skin elasticity and hydration, reduce joint pain, support bone health, improve gut integrity, and more. But research on the benefits of collagen supplements has produced mixed results.
There are at least 16 different types of collagen in the human body. But supplements predominantly contain types I, II, and III because these are the most abundant forms found in the human body.
Key collagen benefits
- May improve skin hydration and elasticity
- Could help relieve joint pain
- May support bone health
- Potential gut health benefits
How is collagen extracted for supplements and bone broth?
Collagen doesn’t dissolve in water. Therefore, to extract collagen from animal bones, tendons, and connective tissue, it must be broken down into smaller particles. This process is called hydrolysis which uses hot water, enzymes, or acids to breakdown collagen into smaller peptides and amino acids.
Collagen hydrolysate supplements contain collagen that has been broken down so it can dissolve in water or juice. Hydrolyzed collagen peptides are better absorbed in the body compared to pure collagen.
When making bone broth, collagen extracts from animal bones and connective tissue by simmering them in water for an extended period, usually between 12-48 hours. The heat and water work together to breakdown and release collagen, gelatin, and amino acids present in the bones into the broth.
Does ALDI bone broth contain collagen?
Unfortunately, it’s unclear whether ALDI’s bone broth products contain a significant amount of collagen. ALDI does not provide much information about the collagen content of their bone broths.
According to their website, ALDI bone broths are made by simmering bones to extract the collagen, nutrients, and flavors. However, the cooking time is not specified. To effectively extract collagen from bones, it needs to be simmered for at least 12 hours. Shorter cook times may not break down collagen peptides into the broth.
ALDI bone broth is inexpensive compared to other brands on the market. The comparatively low price point indicates that it may be simmered for less time than higher priced competitors. Without seeing the specific cooking process and timing, it’s impossible to confirm the collagen content of ALDI bone broth.
Analysis of ALDI bone broth nutrition labels
Analyzing the nutrition label can provide clues about the collagen content as well. Collagen is high in the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.Checking the nutrition labels for these amino acids can indicate if significant collagen was extracted into the broth.
Here is the nutrition label analysis for two popular ALDI bone broth varieties – chicken and beef:
ALDI Chicken Bone Broth
Serving size: 1 cup
- Calories: 10
- Protein: 2g
- Glycine: 400mg
- Proline: not listed
- Hydroxyproline: not listed
ALDI Beef Bone Broth
Serving size: 1 cup
- Calories: 10
- Protein: 2g
- Glycine: 600mg
- Proline: not listed
- Hydroxyproline: not listed
The low protein content and lack of proline or hydroxyproline on the label indicates minimal collagen in ALDI bone broths. While they contain glycine, the amount is still quite low compared to leading collagen supplements which can provide 5,000mg or more of glycine per serving.
How much collagen is in other bone broth brands?
For comparison, here is an analysis of the collagen content of other popular bone broth brands:
Kettle & Fire Bone Broth
Kettle & Fire Bone Broth simmers their broth for 24-48 hours. Their beef bone broth contains:
- 10g protein per serving
- 5,040mg glycine
- 3,572mg proline
The higher protein and amino acid content indicates significant collagen extraction into the broth. Kettle & Fire bone broth likely contains around 6-7g of collagen per serving.
Bonafide Provisions Bone Broth
Bonafide Provisions also simmers their bone broth for 24-48 hours. Their chicken bone broth contains:
- 9g protein
- 4,680mg glycine
- 2,220mg proline
Based on the amino acid profile, Bonafide Provisions bone broth provides approximately 5-6g of collagen per serving.
Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth
Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth contains:
- 20g protein
- 8,000mg glycine
- 6,000mg proline
- 2,400mg hydroxyproline
The amino acid profile indicates that Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth provides a significant amount of collagen – likely over 15g per serving.
Should you take collagen supplements instead of drinking bone broth?
Given the uncertainty around the collagen content of ALDI and many grocery store bone broths, taking a collagen supplement may be a better choice if your goal is to increase collagen intake.
The top advantages of collagen supplements include:
- Higher collagen content – Quality collagen supplements contain 10-20g of collagen per serving compared to home-cooked bone broths which can have inconsistent levels.
- More protein – Collagen supplements typically contain over 10g of protein compared to grocery store bone broths which often have just 2-3g of protein per serving.
- Added nutrients – Many collagen supplements also contain hyaluronic acid, biotin, vitamins, and minerals for added benefits.
- Convenience – Taking a daily supplement is often easier to fit into a routine compared to making home-cooked bone broth regularly.
High quality collagen supplements like those from brands such as Vital Proteins, Ancient Nutrition, and Perfect Keto ensure you are getting an effective collagen dosage each day.
Should you take collagen powder or pills?
Collagen supplements come in two main forms – powder and pills/capsules. Here is a comparison between the two:
Collagen powder
- Can easily mix into liquid like smoothies, coffee, oatmeal
- Better taste and texture compared to pills
- Measuring scoops may provide less consistent dosing compared to pills
- May not be convenient for travel
Collagen capsules
- More convenient for travel and on-the-go use
- Each pill provides consistent collagen dosage
- Easier to swallow for those who don’t like textures
- No mixing required
The best option comes down to your personal preferences and lifestyle needs. Both powders and pills can be effective delivery methods.
Other diet sources of collagen
In addition to taking collagen supplements, you can boost your collagen intake from natural food sources including:
- Bone broth – Look for brands that simmer for over 24 hours such as Kettle & Fire to maximize collagen extraction.
- Eggs – Especially the whites which are high in proline and glycine.
- Oxtails – Contain collagen-rich cartilage.
- Chicken skin – Contains mostly collagen due to high concentration of connective tissue.
- Wild-caught fish – Such as salmon and snapper which contain the collagen-boosting amino acids proline and glycine.
Focus on cooking methods like simmering, baking, roasting, or slow-cooking to fully extract collagen from bones and connective tissue when preparing animal proteins.
The bottom line
Due to minimal information on the cooking process and nutrition labels, it’s unlikely that ALDI bone broth provides more than trace amounts of collagen per serving.
To maximize your daily collagen intake, consider adding a high quality collagen supplement in addition to cooking collagen-rich foods. Look for collagen powders or capsules from reputable brands containing primarily type I, II, and III collagen.
Taking collagen supplements and eating a collagen-rich diet can help counteract age-related collagen loss and support whole body health.