Calcium Made From Eggshells

© Copyright Bee Wilder March 30, 2015

Eggshell Nutrients

Eggshell calcium presents 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, Yokyo 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 Amount: Eggshells contain calcium carbonate, and approximately 40% of it is absorbable. The amount absorbed is called the elemental amount.

Calcium and magnesium need to be taken in at least equal amounts, and some people require more magnesium than calcium depending upon how much calcium they obtain from foods.

  1. People who do not consume dairy products other than butter, require 300 mgs twice a day of calcium, so you would take a little less than 1/2 teaspoon of the eggshell powder two times a day. Also take 300 mgs of magnesium citrate twice a day at the same time. Do not take more than 500 mgs of calcium at one time because your body is not able to absorb more than that at one time.
    However, people who consume dairy products other than butter, may not need to take any calcium, which depends upon how much dairy they consume daily, but they will still need to take 350 mg of magnesium citrate daily.
  2. Whenever you consume a whole can of sardines (contains 300 mg of calcium) in a day, you only need to take 300 mg of calcium once a day, along with 300 mg of magnesium citrate twice a day.
  3. If you drink 4 cups of Mineral–Rich Bone Broth daily you do not need to take any calcium or magnesium supplements.

It is best to take calcium and magnesium with meals to help absorb them. Minerals also require acid in order to be absorbed, so taking them with vitamin C is important.

Don’t forget that vitamin D is very important for absorbing minerals, along with vitamin A and Omega 3 fatty acid. The best source of these three nutrients is cod liver oil – see Cod Liver Oil Brand with Nutrient Levels.

In addition, all of the trace minerals, including sodium and chloride (salt) are important for mineral absorption. To keep minerals balanced ensure you take 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of ocean sea salt per day (divided into 3 meals per day), which contains over 84 minerals, i.e. Organic Unrefined Coarse Grey Sea salt which is available at iHerb – Products Bee Recommends.

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.
  2. Lay clean 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, and keep it in a dry place, like the kitchen cupboard.

How to Take Eggshell Calcium:

There are two ways of taking eggshell calcium:

Option #1: Take the dry powdered eggshell without mixing it with lemon juice. Since it is high in minerals they won’t mixed into any liquids because they will sink to the bottom and you’ll be digging it out with a spoon. Instead put the correct amount on a dessert spoon, add some warm water and mix it as best you can, and take it from the spoon, followed by swallows of water.

Option #2: Soak the eggshell in lemon juice as instructed below. You can make more than one dose at a time but after soaking it in lemon juice keep it in a tightly covered glass container in the refrigerator so it won’t dry out.

  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 since it will dry out too much.
  4. Take it from a spoon, followed by mouthfuls of water to wash it down, and always at mealtime. 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 Calcium Recipes

# 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 to take of this mixture is not easy to figure out. One eggshell (size is not stated) yields about 750 – 800 mgs of elemental calcium. Therefore 3 eggs would contain 2,250 – 2,400 mg.