The popularity of bone broth protein powder has grown massively in recent years, becoming a staple part of health-conscious diets. Often praised for its gut-healing and joint-supporting benefits, bone broth also contains amino acids that act as the building blocks for protein. Protein is key for almost every biological function, but not every source offers the full spectrum of amino acids. So, does bone broth protein powder have all the amino acids your body needs?
Bone broth protein powder contains a broad spectrum of the key amino acids your body needs, including:
- Glycine
- Proline
- Glutamine
In combination with its sources of collagen and gelatin, bone broth protein powder works amazingly well as a supplement to a balanced diet, rather than a complete protein replacement.
In this blog, we’ll run through the function of amino acids in the body, which ones are found in bone broth protein powder, and why they’re vital to your health.
Article Contents
- Why Are Amino Acids Essential For Your Health?
- The Key Amino Acids In Bone Broth Protein Powder
- How Does Bone Broth Protein Powder Compare To Other Sources?
Why Are Amino Acids Essential For Your Health?
Amino acids, like those found in bone broth, are essential for many of our bodily functions, including:
- Protein synthesis
- Energy production
- Brain function
- Immune function
These functions use a combination of essential and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids cannot be produced within the body and must be obtained from our diet. Non-essential amino acids can be synthesised from other compounds, like protein powder with bone broth.
Protein Synthesis
Amino acids link together to form proteins, which are essential for several bodily functions, such as:
- Muscle growth and repair: Amino acids provide the building blocks for muscle mass and also help to repair damaged tissue.
- Hormone and enzyme production: The hormones and enzymes involved in regulating our bodies are also often made of amino acids.
- Healthy skin, hair, and nails: Amino acids contribute to the tissue structure and health in these areas.
Energy Production
Essential amino acids, like some of those found in bone broth protein powder, can be used directly as fuel by the muscles. Some studies, like this 2024 review, have confirmed that amino acids are especially useful for energy production during prolonged or intense exercise.
Brain Function
Thanks to their role as the building blocks of protein, amino acids are also essential for brain function. Many of the neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers) found in our brains are derived from amino acids, including:
- Serotonin: Regulates mood and sleep.
- Dopamine: Involved in our sense of reward, motivation and attention.
Amino acids are also involved in protein synthesis, which is key for maintaining the integrity and function of our brain cells.
Immune Function
Amino acids are critical for the function of our immune system, as they form the basis of many proteins necessary for its responses.
Some of the proteins that amino acids are involved in creating include antibodies and cytokines, which are key to our body’s immune response. Amino acids also act as fuel for the metabolic process of the cells in our immune system, which allows them to replicate and perform their functions effectively.
This means that a deficiency in amino acids can make you more susceptible to illnesses or infectious diseases. Supplementation of amino acids, through products like bone broth protein powder, can enhance our immune system and help our bodies to prevent and treat illnesses.
How Do Amino Acids Support Muscle Growth?
Your body depends on a steady supply of amino acids to build the proteins that make up your muscle tissue. Some amino acids, like valine or leucine, play a huge part in supporting the strength, recovery, and repair of our muscles.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) like these are especially important for athletes, bodybuilders, or anyone who takes part in strength training, as they help to reduce muscle breakdown and support faster recovery.
Why Is Obtaining All Essential Amino Acids Important?
Essential amino acids are the basis of our proteins and are key in many processes our bodies use to function every day. Our bodies cannot produce essential amino acids, so they need to be obtained through diet or supplements.
Taking supplements, like protein powder with bone broth, is especially useful if you can’t get enough amino acids from your diet, or if your body has increased needs due to more intense exercise. Supplements aren’t a substitute for a healthy, balanced diet, but can help you avoid the side effects of deficiency if you’re an athlete or have limited food options.
The Key Amino Acids In Bone Broth Protein Powder
The creation process of bone broth allows the nutrients, minerals, and amino acids to be extracted from animal bones and connective tissues. When this bone broth is dehydrated and turned into a protein powder, we’re left with a concentrated source of specific amino acids, especially those found in collagen.
Collagen-Rich Amino Acids
The amino acids that are most commonly found in protein powder with bone broth are:
- Glycine: Promotes healthy skin and joints, has anti-inflammatory properties, and aids in digestion.
- Proline: Plays a key role in maintaining healthy connective tissue.
- Hydroxyproline: Forms as a result of proline interaction with vitamin C, and stabilises the collagen structures in skin, tendons, and ligaments.
It’s unlikely to find these amino acids in large amounts in other protein sources, which gives bone broth protein powder a unique advantage in the health of our skin, joints, and guts.
Are All Of The Essential Amino Acids Present?
There are nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own and must be obtained through diet or supplementation.
- Histidine
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
Bone broth protein powder does contain these essential amino acids, like leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Bone broth protein powder contains several amino acids, especially those that are collagen-specific, but needs to be taken alongside more complete sources, like meat, eggs, soy, or chia seeds, to offer the full spectrum.
How Does Bone Broth Protein Powder Compare To Other Sources?
Bone broth has a very different amino acid profile from other sources of protein, like whey or soy. Those other sources are typically considered complete proteins and provide all nine essential amino acids needed for overall health.
However, bone broth protein powder excels in specific areas, like skin, gut, and joint health. This means it is ideal for those looking to improve these areas and is vital alongside other protein sources for a complete amino acid profile. It’s also a natural source of collagen and is easier on the gut, which takes it a step above whey or soy for most people.
Read more: Beef Bone Broth Protein vs Whey: Which Is Better?
Get Your Essential Amino Acids With Human Performance Hub
Created through a combination of traditional European nutrition practices and modern sports science techniques, our bone broth protein powder is packed full of collagen-rich peptides and essential amino acids. Our products are designed to support joint integrity, boost recovery, and reinforce gut health.
Our bone broth protein powder contains beef from grass-fed animals raised in Sweden without hormones or antibiotics, and is non-GMO and free of grains, grasses, and ensilage.
Order online at Human Performance Hub and start your journey towards better overall health today.
