Egg Shells Are a Great Source of Calcium

 

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our body.
While most of our calcium resides in our bones and teeth, it’s also important for muscle contraction, nerve health, enzyme activity and cell formation.
In fact, our bodies need ample, daily amounts of calcium… and if we don’t get what we need, our bodies have no problem pulling excess stores from our teeth and bones.
So, let’s just say we want to be sure we’re consuming PLENTY of calcium, especially if we are a pregnant or nursing mama!

I do best consuming ~ 2,000mg of calcium a day.

I feel the most calm and balanced and don’t suffer from muscle soreness or body stiffness. High-quality organic, and preferably raw, dairy products are phenomenal sources of calcium as are bone broths, fish bones, and even almonds.But since I would need to drink 2 quarts of milk to hit this quota, I sometime rely on a calcium supplement, especially when I’m nursing or pregnant.
Which one to chose? Calcium citrate? Hydroxide? Gluconate? Aspartate? Or Coral Calcium? And, I could go on!
But as natural mamas, we know that the best source is FOOD since it’s the mostly easily accessible for the body.
Did you know that eggshells are a great, inexpensive, natural source of calcium?

Yes, EGGSHELL Calcium!

High-quality eggshells contain 27 essential microelements but they’re mostly composed of calcium carbonate, a form and structure that’s very similar to our bones and teeth.
In animal and human tests, eggshell calcium shows increased bone density, less arthritic pain, and even stimulates cartilage growth. You can read more about it here.
Sounds great, huh? And it’s really easy to make.

Ingredients and equipment:

• 1 carton of organic pastured chicken eggsIf you can get fresh from the farm, even better and try to get eggs from chickens that don’t eat soy. Pay the extra price since this will serve as a supplement and is much cheaper than buying calcium tablets. Confused how to find or know if eggs are good quality? Here’s a tip… the thicker the shell, the more nutrients. I don’t have a good source close to where I live, so I order mine from Tropical Traditions and their farms in Wisconsin. I love theirs because they are SOY-FREE, something very hard to find in store bought, even organic eggs.

You will also need:

• 1 stock pot (where to buy)
• 1 coffee grinder (where to buy)
• 1 small Mason jar with secure and clean lid (where to buy)

Directions

• Use up your eggs as you normally would, keeping the shell in the carton to make your supplement
• When you have your dozen shells, rinse them well in water. Remove any whites that might be stuck but don’t remove membrane as these have extra nutrients.
• Fill a stock pot with approximately 6 cups of filtered water and bring to a boil.
• Carefully put your eggshells into water. (This will kill any harmful pathogens)
• Let cook for 10 minutes.
• Drain shells.
• Spread the shells on glass or stainless steel baking sheet and let dry overnight. In the morning, put in a 200 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for about 10 minutes to completely dry out.
• Once completed, put a few shells into a coffee grinder and run until they are pulverized into a granular form. Continue until all of your shells are powder.
• Store in a tightly sealed Mason jar in the cupboard away from heat or moisture.

How to Consume Eggshell Calcium

1 tsp. contains approximately 800-1,000 mg. of calcium. Consume by mixing in a small amount of water with a meal. Consume 3/4 to 1 tsp daily, divided in 3 servings with meals. Don’t consumer more than 1 tsp a day as it can irritate sensitive digestive tracks.

ENJOY!

How about YOU? What’s YOUR favorite way to get calcium into your diet?

Eggshell Calcium Studies:

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11281164
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15018022

- See more at: http://www.mamanatural.com/how-to-make-eggshell-calcium/#sthash.AKnunXUv.dpuf

Plenty of foods exist that can boost overall health and even heal certain conditions. Cruciferous veggies are known to help fight cancers, spices like turmeric combat inflammation and some nuts play a role in improving memory. The list goes on. Then there are eggshells, known for their calcium content (one 1/2 teaspoon of crushed, powdered eggshells contain about 400 mgs. of elemental, or absorbable, calcium), a mineral responsible mainly for bone health.

Normally, they’re tossed in the trash or put in the compost pile, but ingesting them is considered by many a healthy way to get more calcium in their diet while also keeping inflammation at bay.

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) Read this article to learn more.

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)

How Eggshells Can Naturally Heal Your Cavities and More

Eggshells contain the perfect amount of the ideal substances for healing cavities – massive amounts of calcium and 27 other minerals. The composition of eggshells resembles our teeth. Eggshells provide the necessary amount of calcium to remineralize teeth. Just boil shells from one organic free range egg  for about 5 minutes. You can add them daily into your smoothies or grind them into a fine powder and add it to your food.

Eggshells have unique beneficial medicinal properties

• Bone tissue is composed of calcium.  Actually, human bones and teeth are very similar to an eggshell’s composition. One of the benefits of eggshells is the calcium contained in the shell (93 %), the bone marrow is fulfilling its hematopoietic function better.

• Additionally, eggshells also contain mineral elements: magnesium, phosphorus, silicon,  sodium, potassium, iron, sulfur, aluminum, etc.

Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life

• There are 27 elements found in the eggshells.  Also the protein of a shell is composed of such essential amino acids as methionine, cysteine, lysine, isoleucine. Thus, properly prepared eggshells are the most balanced natural means to obtain calcium.

• Eggshells are especially beneficial for small children because their bodies experience more intensively involved in the formation of bone tissue, which requires an uninterrupted flow of calcium. Shell’s included in baby food can be beneficial to prevent  rickets and anemia, which usually develops in parallel with rickets. Shell’s promote activation of blood in the bone tissue.

• Studies also showed accelerated healing when using the shell for treating such orthopedic diseases as congenital dislocation of a hip or osteoporosis (softening of the bones).

To use  eggshells for medicinal purposes, you need to use organic eggs in order to avoid any chemicals or antibiotics.

How to prepare:
Take eggshells and put them in boiling water for about 5 minutes. The boiling will kill any pathogens. Then, air dry the shells and grind the shells in a coffee grinder. Take a 1/2 teaspoon a day. It is important to note that Vitamin D and Magnesium greatly aids calcium absorption.  So make sure to get enough sunlight or eat organ meats such as liver.

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Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23607686

Source: http://www.rawandnaturalhealth.com/can-eating-crushed-egg-shells-improve-health/

Source: http://www.lahealthyliving.com/healthiest-food/eggshells-calcium-rich-food/