The bone broth category has a collagen problem. Walk through any health food store and you will find bone broth products positioned as collagen supplements, promising outcomes that stretch well beyond what the evidence supports. Some of these claims reflect genuine misunderstanding of the chemistry involved. Others are straightforward marketing inflation.
Byron Bay Bone Broth thinks transparency is more useful than a compelling claim. This article explains what collagen is, what gelatin is, what bone broth actually delivers, and how it differs from the hydrolysed collagen peptide products it is often marketed alongside.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the human body. It is the primary component of connective tissue, skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and bone. In food terms, collagen is found in the skin, bones, and connective tissue of animals, which is why cuts that include these tissues produce rich, gelatinous cooking liquids when slow-cooked.
Collagen in its raw, native form is not directly absorbed by the body. For the body to use it, collagen must first be broken down, either by cooking or by digestion. This breakdown is what produces gelatin (Shoulders MD., Raines RT., Annual Review of Biochemistry, 2009).
What Is Gelatin and How Does It Relate to Bone Broth?
Gelatin is what you get when you cook collagen. When collagen-rich tissues are heated over time, the triple-helix protein structure partially unwinds and the protein chains dissolve into the cooking liquid as gelatin. This is a natural, irreversible process. It is what makes braised meats gelatinous, what gives stock its body, and what causes a real bone broth to set into a firm gel when refrigerated.
Gelatin is composed primarily of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, the same amino acids that make up collagen. So while gelatin is not collagen in its original structural form, it provides the same amino acid building blocks in a cooked, soluble form (Eastoe JE., Biochemical Journal, 1955).
When you drink bone broth, you are consuming gelatin, which is a rich whole-food source of collagen-derived amino acids. The broth itself does not contain raw, structural collagen. The gel it forms when refrigerated is the clearest evidence of meaningful gelatin content.
What Are Hydrolysed Collagen Peptides?
Hydrolysed collagen peptides, sold as collagen powders and supplements, are a further-processed product. In hydrolysis, gelatin is broken down into shorter amino acid chains called peptides, using heat, acid, or enzymes. This produces a powder that is highly soluble in cold water and does not gel.
Both hydrolysed collagen and bone broth gelatin provide glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. The difference is the processing step and the resulting chain length. Hydrolysed peptides are shorter chains; broth gelatin is longer chains. Both are broken down in digestion before absorption, which is why the practical distinction is often less significant than the marketing difference suggests (Leon-Lopez A., Molecules, 2019).
Bone Broth vs Collagen Powder: A Comparison
|
|
Bone Broth (Byron Bay) |
Hydrolysed Collagen Powder |
|
Form |
Gelatin, long-chain amino acids in liquid |
Peptides, short-chain amino acids in powder |
|
Processing |
Minimal: heat and water, long simmer |
Multi-step industrial hydrolysis |
|
Solubility |
Dissolves hot, gels cold |
Dissolves cold or hot, no gel |
|
Key amino acids |
Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, glutamine |
Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline |
|
Other compounds |
Minerals, amino acids from bones |
Isolated peptides only |
|
Origin (BBBB) |
Certified organic, pasture-raised AU bones |
Varies by manufacturer |
|
Whole-food status |
Yes |
Processed supplement |
So Does Bone Broth Contain Collagen?
Technically, no. Not in the raw, structural sense. Bone broth contains gelatin, which is the cooked form of collagen and provides the same amino acid building blocks. The collagen was present in the bones and connective tissue before cooking. It is converted to gelatin during the long simmer.
The bone broth category frequently positions products as a collagen drink, implying they deliver collagen in a form directly utilisable as a structural protein. This is misleading. What bone broth delivers is a whole-food source of gelatin, rich in glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which the body uses as amino acids available for normal protein synthesis. That is a meaningful, honest thing. It does not require exaggeration to earn its place in a whole-food diet.
Why Honesty Matters in the Bone Broth Category
Byron Bay Bone Broth is made from certified organic, pasture-raised Australian bones, simmered for up to 24 hours. Every batch gels when refrigerated. We are confident in what our product is and what it provides as a whole food.
We are not a hydrolysed collagen peptide supplement. We are a traditional whole food that provides gelatin-derived amino acids in their natural cooked form, the same way humans have consumed them for thousands of years through slow-cooked broths, soups, and stews. We believe that is worth saying clearly, without dressing it up as something it is not.
Also from Byron Bay Bone Broth
Pair your bone broth with our Organic Chicken Liver Capsules, a whole-food source of iron, B12, and folate made from certified organic, pasture-raised chicken liver. Available in the Chicken Glow Stack and Beef Glow Stack bundles.
Shop Organic Chicken Bone Broth
Frequently Asked Questions
Does bone broth have collagen in it?
Bone broth contains gelatin, which is the cooked form of collagen and provides the same amino acid building blocks including glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. The collagen is converted to gelatin through the long cooking process. Bone broth does not contain raw, structural collagen in its native form.
Is bone broth better than a collagen supplement?
They are different products with different forms of the same underlying amino acids. Bone broth is a traditional whole food providing gelatin, minerals, and other amino acids in their natural cooked form. Hydrolysed collagen powder is a more processed product delivering isolated peptides. The choice depends on what you are looking for in a whole-food diet.
How can I tell if my bone broth has enough gelatin?
Refrigerate it. A bone broth with meaningful gelatin content will set to a jelly-like gel when cold. If it stays liquid, the gelatin content is low, indicating a short simmer time or insufficient bone content. Byron Bay Bone Broth gels from every batch.
Does Byron Bay Bone Broth contain any added collagen?
No. Byron Bay Bone Broth contains only bones, filtered water, organic vegetables, herbs, and organic apple cider vinegar. All gelatin content comes from the natural long-simmer extraction process. No collagen is added and no collagen peptide powders are used.
Where can I buy Byron Bay Bone Broth in Australia?
Byron Bay Bone Broth is available to purchase online at byronbaybonebroth.com with delivery across Australia. Chicken and beef varieties, Glow Stack bundles, and more are available via the Byron Bay Bone Broth website.
References
• Eastoe JE. The amino acid composition of mammalian collagen and gelatin. Biochemical Journal. 1955;61(4):589 to 600.
• Leon-Lopez A, Morales-Penaloza A, Martinez-Juarez VM, Vargas-Torres A, Zeugolis DI, Aguirre-Alvarez G. Hydrolyzed Collagen: Sources and Applications. Molecules. 2019;24(22):4031.
• Shoulders MD, Raines RT. Collagen structure and stability. Annual Review of Biochemistry. 2009;78:929 to 958.
• Siebecker A. Traditional Bone Broth in Modern Health and Disease. Townsend Letter. 2005.
• Wu G. Amino acids: metabolism, functions, and nutrition. Amino Acids. 2009;37(1):1 to 17.
