Should I Dilute Bone Broth to Drink for Maximum Benefit?

November 30, 2025 •

4 min read

For some, the intensely concentrated flavor of a high-quality bone broth is an acquired taste. The decision to dilute bone broth to drink it depends on your palate, the broth's concentration, and your health goals.

Quick Summary

Whether to dilute bone broth for drinking depends on factors like personal preference, concentration, and intended use, balancing flavor with nutrient density. Diluting a highly reduced broth can improve palatability for daily sipping.

Key Points

Customize Flavor: Diluting a strong bone broth with hot water can make it more palatable and less intense for daily sipping.
Maximize Nutrients: Drinking bone broth undiluted delivers the highest concentration of collagen, gelatin, and minerals per serving.
Adapt for Recipes: Using a diluted broth is helpful for recipes like soups and sauces where an overly strong flavor could be overwhelming.
Control Viscosity: Adding hot water is an easy way to thin out a thick, gelatinous broth for a smoother drinking experience.
Manage Cost: For a concentrated, homemade broth, diluting helps stretch your supply, making it more cost-effective for regular consumption.
Adjust for Children: For infants and young children, diluting and limiting bone broth is recommended to avoid high sodium intake and ensure they receive proper nutrition from primary sources like breast milk or formula.

The Art of Drinking Bone Broth

Bone broth has soared in popularity for its perceived health benefits, from supporting gut health to improving joint and skin health. However, many people find themselves at a crossroads when preparing to drink it: to dilute or not to dilute? The answer is not one-size-fits-all and hinges on several factors, including the broth's potency, your personal taste preferences, and your specific wellness objectives.

Reasons to Dilute Your Bone Broth

Diluting bone broth is a common practice, particularly with highly concentrated homemade or store-bought varieties. Here are some of the key reasons you might choose to add a bit of water or other liquid before sipping:

Palatability and Flavor: A long-simmered broth can be incredibly rich and salty, which may be overwhelming for some palates. Adding hot water can soften the flavor profile, making it a more pleasant drinking experience.
Portion Control and Cost-Effectiveness: For those who make their own highly-gelatinous broth, diluting it allows you to stretch your batch further. You can use a smaller amount of concentrated broth and top it with hot water, which is particularly useful for those on a budget.
Consistency: A high-collagen bone broth will often gel when refrigerated. While this is a sign of a high-quality product, some may find the thick texture unpleasant for sipping. Adding hot water melts the gelatin, returning it to a smooth liquid consistency.
Specific Recipes: For some cooking applications, like delicate soups or sauces, a full-strength bone broth might overpower other ingredients. Diluting it can help achieve a more balanced flavor.

The Case for Drinking Undiluted Bone Broth

While dilution has its merits, there are strong arguments for consuming bone broth in its most potent form. Opting for an undiluted serving ensures you receive the maximum concentration of nutrients in each cup.

Maximized Nutrient Density: A serving of undiluted, reduced broth contains the highest density of collagen, gelatin, amino acids, and minerals. For individuals seeking maximum therapeutic benefits, such as supporting joint health or repairing a leaky gut, drinking it straight provides a more potent dose.
Intense Healing Protocols: Some individuals following specific healing diets, like the GAPS protocol, may prioritize a concentrated, undiluted intake to soothe and repair the intestinal lining.
Flavor Intensity: For those who enjoy a deep, savory, and rich flavor, an undiluted broth is the best way to appreciate the full, robust taste developed during the long simmering process.

A Practical Guide to Dilution

How you dilute your bone broth depends on your end goal. Here are some common approaches:

For General Sipping: If you find your broth too intense, start by adding hot water in a 1:1 ratio. Taste and adjust. A common ratio is 100-150 ml of undiluted broth topped with hot water to your liking.
For Soup Bases: In many soup recipes, you can use bone broth undiluted for a richer, more flavorful result. However, if your broth is extremely strong, or if the soup contains other delicate flavors, you can add water to find the right balance.
For Babies and Toddlers: For infants starting solids, a small amount of diluted broth can be added to purees. For toddlers, it's often served in an open cup, but keep liquid quantities limited to prevent displacing other key nutrients from breast milk or formula.

Common Diluting Liquids

Plain hot water
Herbal tea (e.g., ginger, mint)
A squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice for brightness
Another, milder stock or broth

Diluted vs. Undiluted Bone Broth


Feature	Undiluted Bone Broth	Diluted Bone Broth
Nutrient Density	High concentration of collagen, gelatin, and minerals per fluid ounce.	Lower concentration of nutrients per fluid ounce, depending on the dilution ratio.
Flavor Profile	Intense, rich, and savory. Can be very salty depending on preparation.	Milder, more balanced, and less intense. Ideal for sensitive palates or daily sipping.
Consistency	Often gelatinous and thick when chilled, though it thins when heated.	Thinner, more liquid consistency, even when cooled.
Use Case	Maximizing healing properties, specific therapeutic diets, enjoying a powerful savory taste.	Improving palatability, controlling sodium intake, daily sipping, cooking grains.
Cost Efficiency	Uses up broth faster, less cost-efficient per drink.	Extends the life of a batch of broth, more cost-effective per drink.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the decision to should I dilute bone broth to drink is a personal one. For those prioritizing maximum nutrient intake for specific health issues, drinking it undiluted is the most direct approach. However, if flavor, budget, or daily enjoyment are your primary concerns, diluting your broth is a perfectly acceptable and common practice that still delivers valuable nutrients. Experiment with different ratios to find what works best for your taste buds and wellness goals. The most important thing is finding a way to enjoy bone broth consistently as part of a healthy routine.

To learn more about the use of bone broth in ancient diets and healing, you may explore resources from the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is not bad to dilute bone broth. In fact, many people do it to improve the flavor and consistency, especially if the broth is very concentrated or salty.

Diluting bone broth with water decreases the nutrient concentration per fluid ounce, but it does not destroy the inherent nutritional compounds. You will simply need to consume more total liquid to get the same amount of nutrients as a smaller portion of undiluted broth.

The best way is to start with a base of undiluted broth and add hot water to taste. Begin with a 1:1 ratio and adjust until you find the flavor and consistency you prefer.

Yes, you can add other liquids to balance flavors, such as a squeeze of lemon or lime juice for brightness, or even a splash of herbal tea. Some also add healthy fats like ghee or coconut oil for richness.

For babies over six months, a small amount of diluted broth can be added to purees. As a drink, it should be limited and possibly diluted, as their primary nutrition comes from breast milk or formula. Check with a pediatrician for specific guidance.

A gelatinous consistency when cold is actually a sign of a high-quality, collagen-rich broth. While you don't have to dilute it, adding hot water is the easiest way to return it to a liquid state for drinking.

Yes, diluting with plain water will help reduce the saltiness of a very concentrated broth, which can be helpful for those monitoring their sodium intake.