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Homemade Eggshell Powder: An accessible resource and high-quality source of calcium and other nutrients
August 3, 2021
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eggshell powder
calcium supplement
homemade
nutritional composition
Description:
This is a method to prepare eggshell powder at home, as source of high quality calcium.
The powder obtained is fine enough to add to any dish without noticing the grain when chewing.
If we want to add calcium to a drink we can add the eggshell powder, stir and let stand in a container at room temperature for a while, so that the larger particles are deposited in the bottom. The longer it is at rest the finer the particles that will pass into the final container.
Then we transfer the liquid to the final container and store it in the refrigerator. In the final container a deposit will also form at the bottom, but of very fine particles and it will be necessary to stir or shake before serving.
About Eggshell: > sections
More and more people prefer not to consume dairy products such as milk or cheese. Whether for ethical or dietary reasons, not consuming dairy products can easily cause a calcium intake below the recommended daily amounts (RDAs).
If we are regular consumers of eggs and especially if we consume organic eggs, we can take advantage of the eggshell as well.
Eggshell makes up from 9 - 12% of the total egg weight; a 94% of eggshell is calcium carbonate which means that per 100gr of eggshell we have 33-35 gr of calcium.
Eggshell calcium is a good source of dietary calcium, and it's easily absorbed in small intestine [1].
In the eggshell, in addition to the mineral part (amorphous calcium carbonate) of the clove there is an organic part, mainly composed by proteins. 2% of the weight of the eggshell is made up of more than 500 types of protein [2].
In addition, when we take advantage of the eggshell, we also take advantage of the inner and outer membranes, formed mainly by proteins (approximately 40% collagen, assimilable hyaluronic acid, chondroitin, glucosamine, keratin and others) [3].
Eggshell membrane stimulates the renewal of the skin; its role in collagen repair is more selective than that of mammalian or fish jellies. Eggshell membrane has also a favorable effect on the mobility of people affected by inflammation in the joints, reducing stiffness [4].
Tools: > sections
To prepare it we only need:
- normal kitchen scale
- jar with lid
- mill (for coffee, spices or grain)
- oven
- baking paper
- 'organdy' type cloth
- rubber band
Ingredients: > sections
hen eggs
Preparation: > sections
1/ Boil the eggs. If you want to easily peel hard-boiled eggs, the eggs should be put in water when it boils and the eggs should be well cooked (12-15 minutes).
2/ Let the eggs cool and clean them well with a normal kitchen scrub.
* In order to avoid Salmonella contamination we can eliminate the infectious agent from eggs through several cooking methods (e.g. boiling) or immerse eggshells in a solution of 10 drops of sodium hypochlorite (domestic bleaching agent) per liter of tap water. Rinse, dry with paper towels and use the eggshells. In any case, we should wash eggshells under running tap water and scrub with a domestic sponge before other actions [1].3/ Peel the eggs. Separate the whole eggshell by discarding the ones that contains egg remains.
4/ Drying the eggshell. Place all the eggshell in an oven tray, on a baking sheet, and dry for 20 minutes at about 80ºC
5/ Grind the eggshell with a coffe grinder, spices or grain.
6/ Sift the powder.
* we can grind the large particles again after grinding the eggshells, especially when our grinder is small* It is very good to use an 'organdy' type cloth and hold it with a rubber band over the mouth of a jar, where we put the powder so we can sift it.
Storing and
conservation: > sections
The eggshell powder stays very well for a long time at room temperature if it is tightly closed; It is a disinfected and dehydrated powder, so keeping it tightly closed is important to prevent water absorption from the air and keep it as dry as possible for better preservation.
References: > sections
1 Ray, S. et al. “Chicken eggshell powder as dietary calcium source in chocolate cakes.” The Pharma Innovation Journal 6 (2017): 01-04
2 Nakano, T et al. “Chemical composition of chicken eggshell and shell membranes.” Poultry science vol. 82,3 (2003): 510-4. doi:10.1093/ps/82.3.510
3 Wong M, Hendrix MJC, von der Mark K et. al (1984) Collagen in the egg she membranes of the hen. Devel Biol 104 (1): 28–36
4 EGGNOVO dossier bibliográfico. OVOMET Health: egg membrane for the treatment of knee and hip associated joint pain and stiffness in Runners. January, 2015