Nutritional insights into broths in relation to elemental composition

Despite the popular claim that broths are a good source of essential elements, few studies have been devoted to clarifying this narrative. In fact, there is growing concern about the risk of ingesting toxic elements. This study focused on assessing the content of important elements (Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, and Pb) in various types of broths (beef, fish, poultry, pork, and vegetable). The samples (n = 30) included broths of different origins, including laboratory-prepared broths and broths prepared by professional cooks from Czech school canteens. The broths were evaluated as potential sources of essential elements in relation to their reference daily intake, as well as their potential toxicity risk in relation to Cd and Pb. Although significant variability was observed in the contents of the investigated elements, the results generally contradicted the popular narrative that broths are a good source of Ca, Cu, Fe, and Mg, as their contents did not achieve even 5% of the recommended daily intake. The amount of Ca in the broths was minimal even compared to the amount in tap water. The consumption of broths poses minimal risk regarding the presence of Cd and Pb.

Graphic abstract