110Supports

Bone broth

The hormone benefit is glycine and sleep, not collagen — and sleep is where most of your testosterone is made.

At a glance

Key nutrientsGlycine · Proline · Hydroxyproline · Gelatin · Trace calcium & magnesium

Feel-good effectEasier sleep onset and a calmer wind-down in the evening

Best formHome-made or a genuine long-simmered broth, a mug most days

Who it helps mostAnyone sleeping badly; women in perimenopause with disrupted nights

EvidenceModerate for glycine and sleep; weak for the collagen-to-skin claim

Why it matters

Bone broth is usually sold on collagen, which is the least interesting thing about it. Eat collagen and your gut breaks it into amino acids like anything else — it does not travel to your skin intact. The reason bone broth belongs in a hormone-food library is glycine, the amino acid it is unusually rich in, and glycine has real trials behind it for sleep. Since most of a man's daily testosterone is produced during deep sleep, and disturbed sleep is one of the most common reasons hormones drift, anything that genuinely improves sleep earns its place.

What's inside

Glycine is the standout, alongside proline and hydroxyproline from the collagen in bones and connective tissue. You also get gelatin, small amounts of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus leached from the bones, and electrolytes. Protein content varies enormously depending on how it was made — a long-simmered home-made broth is a different product from a stock cube.

For men

The sleep angle is the one that matters. Trials giving 3 g of glycine an hour before bed found people fell asleep faster, reported better sleep quality and felt less tired the following day, with polysomnography confirming a quicker route into deep sleep. That is the sleep stage where testosterone is produced. Glycine also supports connective tissue and joints, which is relevant if you lift. The honest caveat is that a mug of broth may contain less than 3 g of glycine depending on how it was made.

For women

The same sleep benefit applies, and sleep disruption is one of the most common and most wearing perimenopause symptoms. Glycine works partly by helping core body temperature drop, which is also what a hot flush interferes with. Beyond sleep, glycine supports the body's production of glutathione, its main antioxidant, and the amino acid profile is useful for skin and joints — two things that change noticeably as oestrogen falls.

How to eat it

A mug in the evening is the simplest use, and it fits neatly with the timing the sleep research used. Home-made from roasted bones simmered several hours gives the most gelatin — you'll know it worked if it sets like jelly in the fridge. Shop-bought varies wildly; look for one that gels and lists bones rather than flavourings. It also works as a base for soups, stews and cooking grains, which is an easy way to use it without drinking it.

Worth knowing

Two honest caveats. First, glycine's sleep evidence comes from modest trials, several funded by a glycine manufacturer, and sleep medicine guidelines do not yet endorse it — promising rather than proven. Second, broth is not a protein source in any meaningful sense; the amino acid profile is incomplete, so it complements meals rather than replacing protein. Bones from older animals may carry small amounts of lead, so vary your sources rather than drinking litres daily.

Bottom line

Bone broth is worth drinking for glycine and sleep rather than for collagen — a mug in the evening is a low-effort habit that supports the stage of sleep where hormones are made.

In the book

Chapter 10 · What Works

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Educational information, not medical advice. Foods affect people differently — if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medication, talk to your doctor before making big dietary changes. Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.