A disclosure before we go further: I develop soup cleanse products, so read the evidence sections closely and check my claims against the sources. Where the research is thin, I’ve said so.
What broth does
Broth is made by simmering bones, vegetables, and herbs for hours. Bone broth draws out gelatin and some amino acids, and a 2019 analysis of commercial and homemade bone broths found that amino acid content varies widely from pot to pot. The bone broth post covers where the two broths came from.
Two claims about it need separating. The first holds up: warm, liquid, low-residue food is easy to digest and easy to keep down. Mayo Clinic lists clear, fat-free broth on its clear liquid diet beside water and plain gelatin, and a warm bowl raises the odds that someone with no appetite eats anything at all. Clinicians prescribe clear liquids before or after some procedures and during vomiting or diarrhea, and in those cases broth is a stopgap while appetite returns.
The second is oversold: broth as a repair agent for the intestinal lining. The myths post covers why that claim is thinner than it sounds.
Broth as a source of fluid
The National Academies set the adequate intake for total water at 3.7 liters a day for young men and 2.7 for young women. About 20 percent comes from food and the rest from drinking water and beverages, caffeinated ones included, which works out to about 13 cups of fluid for men and 9 for women. Those figures come from the median intakes of people who appear adequately hydrated, and the report notes that normal hydration holds across a wide range of intakes. Broth counts on the fluid side. A blended soup counts as both food and fluid.
Many older adults fall short of those figures. In an analysis of national survey data from 2005 to 2010, 83 percent of women and 95 percent of men aged 71 and older did not reach the adequate intake. A warm bowl of broth is an easy way to add fluid for anyone with a small appetite.
Sodium changes what fluid does. The WHO’s oral rehydration solution, the standard treatment for fluid lost to diarrhea, carries 75 millimoles of sodium and 75 of glucose per liter, because the gut absorbs sodium and glucose together and water follows. A salted commercial broth lists about 520 milligrams of sodium a cup, roughly 94 millimoles per liter. That is more sodium per liter than the WHO formula and little of the glucose that carries it across the gut, so broth is not an oral rehydration solution. It does put back sodium that a low-calorie liquid plan loses, as the day-two headache post lays out. The WHO formula also carries 20 millimoles of potassium per liter, and the 3-day guide notes that vegetable broths and blended soups contribute potassium too.
One myth belongs here: that drinking liquid with a meal dilutes stomach acid and digestive enzymes enough to impair digestion. The stomach secretes more acid as its contents become less acidic, so the effect of a drink is brief. I haven’t found a trial in healthy people showing that drinking with meals impairs digestion. With reflux, extra volume can add pressure, which applies if you have it.
How a cleanse day handles fluid
Take a day with six cups of broth and soup. That is about 1.4 liters of fluid before any water or tea. Against the National Academies’ fluid figures of 2.2 liters for women and 3.0 for men, water and tea cover the remaining 0.8 and 1.6 liters. The figures are reference points built from median intakes, and thirst and the color of your urine adjust them. The report’s own summary was to let thirst guide healthy people, and it notes that very active people in hot climates often need six liters or more of total water.
Where liquid diets stop
Hospitals use broth on liquid diets and measure those diets in days. Mayo Clinic says a clear liquid diet can’t supply all the calories and nutrients you need, and advises against continuing it beyond a few days. Cleveland Clinic puts a full liquid diet, which adds pureed soups, at a few days to a week and recommends a dietitian beyond a few days. The 3-day cleanse sits inside both ranges, and the 5-day cleanse inside the full liquid one, which is part of why the guide stops where it does.
Two homemade broths
Basic bone broth. Simmer chicken bones with onion, garlic, celery, and a splash of apple cider vinegar for 12 to 24 hours, as in the guide. Strain and salt to taste. For a cleanse, salt every batch properly.
Herbal vegetable broth. Simmer carrots, fennel stalks, parsley stems, and ginger for 45 minutes. Strain and drink warm.
The salt arithmetic is short. A teaspoon of table salt holds about 2,300 milligrams of sodium. In a 2-liter pot, one teaspoon gives about 1,150 milligrams per liter, or 50 millimoles, and two teaspoons give about 2,300, or 100 millimoles. Commercial broth at 94 millimoles per liter sits near the two-teaspoon mark, and the WHO’s 75 sits between the two.
Cool either broth quickly in shallow containers. The USDA gives cooked soup 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
Turning this into a short cleanse
A few days of broths and blended soups changes what you eat for those days and gives the digestive system a pause from solid food. The 3-day guide has the framework, the shopping list, and who should skip it entirely. The 5-day guide is for people who have already done one.
Common questions
- Does broth count toward daily water intake?
- Yes. Broth counts as fluid, and soup counts as both food and fluid. The National Academies’ figures of 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 for women are total water from all beverages and foods.
- Is broth a good rehydration drink?
- It carries sodium, about 94 millimoles per liter for a salted commercial broth against 75 in the WHO formula, but little of the glucose that carries it across the gut. For fluid loss from diarrhea or vomiting, use oral rehydration salts.
- Does drinking water with meals hurt digestion?
- I haven’t found a trial showing that it does in healthy people. The stomach secretes more acid as its contents become less acidic, so the effect of a drink is brief.