While we know eggs pack a nutritional punch with their protein and brain-boosting choline, it turns out the discarded shells are a treasure trove of valuable nutrients. Each gram contains roughly 380 milligrams of calcium, nature’s most ubiquitous bone-building mineral. Just half an eggshell can provide an adult’s daily calcium requirement of 1,000 milligrams.
This abundance makes powdered eggshells an accessible, affordable calcium supplement crucial for addressing global calcium deficiencies linked to osteoporosis, pregnancy complications, certain cancers, and cardiovascular issues. The eggshell membrane contains nutrients like glycosaminoglycans that regulate cell growth, proliferation, and wound repair, Jacqueline Vernarelli, a nutritional epidemiologist, public health nutritionist, and professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, told The Epoch Times. Incorporating eggshell powder into one’s diet is relatively straightforward, Ms.
Vernarelli said. “Like many culinary powders, eggshell powder can be incorporated into foods by mixing into soups, sauces, or breading.” For most others, there are very few serious risks or side effects associated with eggshell consumption, provided the shells are properly prepared.
Inadequately ground shells could contain sharp bits that may cause throat irritation or damage the esophagus. Improperly sterilized shells may harbor harmful bacteria like salmonella. However, it’s possible to consume too much of a goo.