Bone Broth with Butter: Minimal Glycemic and Insulin Impact
The combination of bone broth, butter, and apple cider vinegar will have negligible to no effect on glucose or insulin levels, as this mixture contains essentially no carbohydrate—the primary determinant of glycemic and insulin responses.
Macronutrient Composition and Metabolic Response
Carbohydrate Content
- Bone broth contains minimal to zero carbohydrates (primarily protein and minerals from collagen and bone extraction), producing no meaningful glucose elevation 1
- Kerrygold butter is pure fat with no carbohydrate content, and fat does not directly stimulate insulin secretion or raise blood glucose 1
- Bragg's apple cider vinegar contains trace amounts of carbohydrate (typically <1g per tablespoon), which is metabolically insignificant 1
Primary Glycemic Principle
- The American Diabetes Association clearly states that the total amount of carbohydrate in meals is the primary predictor of glycemic response, not protein or fat content 1
- In the absence of carbohydrate, there is no substrate to elevate blood glucose or trigger significant insulin release 1
Expected Physiological Response
Glucose Impact
- Blood glucose levels should remain stable or potentially decrease slightly due to the absence of carbohydrate and the presence of fat, which slows gastric emptying 1
- The protein from bone broth may undergo gluconeogenesis, but this is a slow, regulated process that does not cause acute glucose spikes 1
Insulin Response
- Minimal insulin secretion is expected since insulin release is primarily triggered by carbohydrate consumption and the resulting rise in blood glucose 1
- While protein can stimulate some insulin release, the amount in bone broth is modest and occurs without corresponding hyperglycemia 1
- Fat consumption (butter) does not directly stimulate insulin secretion 1
Clinical Context and Caveats
Important Distinctions
- This mixture represents a high-fat, moderate-protein, zero-carbohydrate beverage that would be metabolically similar to consuming plain broth with added fat 1
- If any commercial bone broth product contains added sugars, starches, or other carbohydrate-containing ingredients, the glycemic response would change proportionally to the carbohydrate content 1, 2
Practical Considerations
- Always check nutrition labels on packaged bone broth products, as some contain added vegetables, starches, or sugars that would alter the carbohydrate content 1
- The American Diabetes Association emphasizes that total carbohydrate amount remains more important than the source or type for predicting glycemic response 1
- For individuals with diabetes using insulin, no insulin adjustment would be needed for this zero-carbohydrate mixture 1
Comparison to Carbohydrate-Containing Foods
- Unlike sugar-sweetened beverages or high-glycemic foods that cause rapid glucose and insulin spikes 1, 2, this bone broth mixture lacks the carbohydrate substrate necessary to produce such responses 1
- The glycemic load of this mixture is effectively zero, predicting minimal impact on blood glucose and insulin 3