Can eating crushed egg shells improve health?

Eggshells present healthy, balanced calcium due to trace amounts of other minerals contained in it. Eggshell calcium is probably the best natural source of calcium, and it is easier for your body to digest and absorb. Dutch researchers have reported recently a highly positive effect of eggshell calcium (with added magnesium and vitamin D) on bone mineral density in a scientific study (double blind, placebo-controlled). Laboratory test and measures of bone density were carefully made in these studies. The eggshell supplemented group had measurable increases in bone density in their hip bones, after one year.

The ideal bone-building combination of eggshell calcium and vitamin D3 was also well documented in Japanese studies. Researchers at the Japan Women’s University, Tokyo studied a combination of vitamin D3 and eggshell powder in animals with osteoporosis. Not only was the eggshell powder with vitamin D3 able to improve bone mineral density, but it did it without significantly increasing blood calcium levels.

You can use any kind of egg (chicken, goose, duck), but it is best to use organic or certified organic eggs from free-range birds. If the bird does not get proper nutrients the eggshells won’t contain the nutrients we need.

How much to take?

One whole medium sized eggshell makes about one teaspoon of powder, which yields about 750 - 800 mgs of elemental* calcium plus other microelements, i.e. magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, sulphur, silicon, zinc, etc. There are 27 elements in total. The composition of an eggshell is very similar to that of our bones and teeth.

*Elemental amounts are the amounts absorbable.

Most people require a minimum of 400 mgs per day of calcium, in addition to calcium from other food sources, so you would take 1/2 teaspoon of the powder per day. Also take 400 mgs of magnesium citrate at the same time. Calcium and magnesium need to be taken in at least equal amounts, and some people require more magnesium than calcium depending upon how much they obtain from their diet.

If you are getting muscle cramps take extra magnesium (about 150 mgs). If that doesn’t alleviate the cramps within an hour take another 150 mgs, and so on. If you get unusual joint pain and you do not have arthritis, take an additional 150 mgs of calcium. Do not take more than 500 mgs of calcium at one time because your body cannot handle it. If you need more than 400 mgs per day split up the doses during the day.

It is best to take calcium and magnesium with foods to help absorb them.

Don’t forget that vitamin D is very important for absorbing minerals, so take cod liver oil in the winter and get into the sun in the summer! In addition, all of the trace minerals, sodium and chloride are important for mineral absorption and to keep minerals balanced so do take a lemon juice and ocean sea salt drink every day (the juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/4 teaspoon of ocean sea salt mixed into 6 ounces of filtered water 6 times a day; 3 with meals to aid digestion).

How to Make Powdered Eggshells:

1. Wash empty eggshells in warm water until all of the egg white is removed, but do not remove the membrane because it contains important nutrients for the joints which helps arthritis.
2. Lay broken pieces out on paper towels and allow them to air dry thoroughly.
3. Break the eggshells up into small pieces, and grind them to into a fine powder in a food processor, blender, coffee grinder, or a nut mill, or put them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to grind them. Please note that some blenders will not grind the eggshell into a fine enough powder. A coffee grinder works the best.
4. Store powdered eggshells in a covered glass jar or container. Keep it in a dry place, like the kitchen cupboard.

How to take eggshell calcium (this forms calcium citrate) takes 3 hours:

1. Put 1/2 teaspoon of powdered eggshell into a small dish (approximately 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches across) 1/2 teaspoon equals approximately 400 mgs of elemental calcium.
2. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon (freshly squeezed), and mix well it will start to bubble and foam, which is what is supposed to happen.
3. Leave it at room temperature for 6 hours the longer you leave it the less gritty it will be, but do not leave it longer than 12 hours.
4. It can be taken by the spoonfuls, followed by mouthfuls of water to wash it down. It is not sour tasting. In fact the taste is quite pleasant.
5. Also take 400 mgs of magnesium citrate at the same time.

Other Eggshell Recipes here are some other ways to make eggshell calcium citrate:

# 1 Lemon Eggshell:

1. Place one whole, clean, uncooked egg into a clean, wide-mouth jar and cover it with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2. Cover the jar loosely and place it in the refrigerator.
3. A few times a day, gently agitate the jar the mixture will bubble.
4. After 48 hours, when the bubbling stops, carefully remove the egg.
5. The recipe says to take 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture daily, but with the added lemon 1/2 teaspoon would not equal 400 mgs of calcium, so it is hard to judge how much of the mixture to take in order to get enough calcium.

# 2 Lemon Eggshell:

1. Fill a wide mouth jar with 3 clean, whole, uncracked eggs.
2. Cover the eggs with freshly squeezed lemon juice it important that the lemons are very fresh or this mixture will not work right.
3. Clove the jar tightly and place it in the refrigerator. You should start to see bubbles forming on the eggshells. That means the eggshells are being dissolved into the lemon juice. The mixture will gradually turn white.
4. Gently agitate the jar a few minutes about 3 times a day.
5. As soon as the bubbling stops it is ready to take. It should not take any longer than 36-48 hours. If you leave the mixture longer it will tend to get thick and the eggs will begin to absorb more of the lemon juice, or the eggs may split and leak into the mixture. Occasionally this mixture doesn’t work when the lemons are not fresh enough.
6. Carefully remove the eggs without breaking the membrane, and use them as you would normally, i.e. in your raw egg drink. There will not be any shell left on the egg because it has been totally dissolved into the lemon juice, which is calcium citrate.
7. Place a tight lid on the mixture that remains after the eggs have been removed, and shake it well.
8. Take no more than one teaspoon per day initially because it can be very powerful. Start slowly. The amount may be gradually increased over time.

Bee’s note: The amount of this mixture to take is not easy to figure out. One eggshell (size is not stated) yields approximately 1,800 mgs of elemental calcium (amount that will be absorbed). Therefore 3 eggs would contain 5,400 mgs, divided by 400 mgs = approximately 13.5 doses.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING CRUSHED EGG SHELLS

Eggshell membranes contain substances like glucosamine and hyaluronic acid which improve joint elasticity and shock absorption.(2) This makes them ideal for fighting off conditions that affect the joints, ensuring they are kept as fully-functioning as possible.

Eating eggshells has also been linked to quickly decreasing pain in those afflicted with joint problems and keeping that pain away as time goes on.(2) 

Mikhail Tombak, Ph.D., says that osteoporosis can even be treated by eating eggshells, explaining that calcium is 90 percent absorbable by people’s bones, and that interestingly, the makeup of eggshells is incredibly similar to our teeth and bones. (3) In fact, they’re so similar to teeth that they’ve even been suggested as a way to regrow and remineralize teeth rather than face dental treatments that may be costly and involve use of harmful metals (or both).(4)

Calcium powder made from organic eggshells can be added to meals including drinks, smoothies, or blended in with oats.