The most surprising thing about New York Fashion Week this year wasn't what the models were wearing, but what they were drinking. The elixir on every fashionista's lips was bone broth, which is being sold by the cup from a hip new Manhattan shop. Aficionados claim that it is rich in amino acids - the building blocks of protein - calcium and collagen, and that drinking it will do everything from warding off illnesses to curing joint pain, and giving you healthy skin, nails and hair. And at just 86 calories per cup, it's a very slimming lunch option. It's catching on here, too - celebrity chefs Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, whose healthy cookbook The Art of Eating Well knocked Jamie Oliver and Mary Berry off the top of the Amazon charts, advocate ladlefuls of bone broth in everything from stews to scrambled eggs. Making it couldn't be easier: simply add 2-3kg of bones from any beef, lamb or chicken carcass to a pan of water with a couple of onions, leeks, carrots and celery sticks. Add a tablespoon of peppercorns, a bay leaf and a dash of cider vinegar and simmer for up to 24 hours. It may sound like old-fashioned stock, but fans claim bone broth is different because it simmers for eight hours longer, which helps break down the protein you get from the bones. But Sian Porter, spokesman for the British Dietetic Association, isn't convinced. 'Bone broth does contain nutrients, minerals and vitamins, but in pretty low quantities. You'd get far more goodness from just eating meat.' However, she says, making your own stock is 'certainly better than buying it in a cube, as you can control what goes in it'. Bone broths have traditionally been prescribed for colds, flu and digestive health, says Laura Tilt, a registered dietitian. 'The main protein in bone broth is gelatine. Gelatine supplements have been shown to improve pain and stiffness in osteoarthritis sufferers, but whether you get the same benefits from broth is unclear.' So is bone broth a magic bullet for superhuman health and supermodel looks? Probably not. But is it much better for you than a supermarket-bought stock cube? Almost certainly.
New York Fashion Week models were drinking bone broth . Aficionados claim that it is rich in amino acids, calcium and collagen . And at just 86 calories per cup, it's a very slimming lunch option .