Bone Broth: Paleo Goodness or Lead Toxicity Risk?

The consumption of bone marrow and bone broths have become more commonplace, and even hip, with the rise in popularity of the Paleo Diet, Perfect Health Diet and GAPS Diet. Bone broths are meant to be a staple in evolutionary-type diets as a rich source of calcium and other minerals. Bone broth is rich in calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, keratin and hyaluronic acid.

These constituents are nutritionally useful for many of the body's physiological processes, including: Bone growth and repair, glucose production and blood detoxification by the liver, tissue healing and maintenance, plasma production, digestion and absorption of nutrients, muscle contraction, and thyroid function.

However, a study was recently published in the journal Medical Hypotheses raising concerns of lead contamination in commercially-available bone broths. Lead toxicity in humans can cause reproductive and gastrointestinal problems, neuropathy, anemia, abdominal pain, memory impairment, and depression.

Lead is stored in bones and the researchers found the bone broth contained 700 parts per billion of lead vs 89 ppb in tap water, and skin and cartilage broth contained 950 ppb. Keep in mind that the legal limit for lead in drinking water is 1500 parts per billion. It's also unclear whether pasture-raised animals might have less lead in their bones than standard grain-fed animals.

If you frequently consume bone broths, one prudent measure would be to have your doctor order a blood test for lead and possibly erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP), which will see if your recent bone broth ingestion pattern has resulted in significant lead exposure.