Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Calcium Supplement from Chicken Eggshell

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class Monday to Friday
Many people may not be aware that lack of Calcium is the main cause of poor health, low stamina and negative disposition to life. Here are specific effects of calcium in our bodies.

• Lack of calcium retards bone and teeth development. It is also the root cause of poor muscle tone and coordination of the nervous system. It is because calcium nourishes our bones, teeth, muscles, and the nervous system. It is found in our tissues and blood and is responsible in clotting.

• Getting enough calcium is the best way to prevent osteoporosis, a condition prevalent in older people. It is characterized by the thinning of the bone. Patients are not only predisposed to brittleness of the bone but difficulty for broken bones to heal. Women need 1,000 mg of calcium daily to prevent osteoporosis.


• Calcium aids in maintaining the right acid-alkaline balance in the blood. This balance affects the production of hormones by endocrine glands, the menstrual cycle, and the fertility of both men and women.

• Calcium is essential to lactation and to the healthy functioning of the heart, muscles and nerves.
• Stamina, energy, resistance, power, forcefulness, determination, as well as relaxation all require calcium in the body. Calcium keeps passion under control. Glandular imbalance due to calcium deficiency can reduce both sexual interest and ability.

Common calcium-rich food

Calcium-rich Diet Contributes to Long Life

To get the most benefit from calcium, Dr. Bernard Jensen, a staunch advocate of modern natural health movement recommends regular intake of calcium-rich food. For proper assimilation and use in the body, it must be taken together with magnesium, phosphorus and vitamins A, D and C.

People who regularly maintain adequate calcium supply are usually big-boned, physically strong, strong-willed, and mentally alert. And they live long. The oldest and healthiest people in the world are found in the Russian Caucasus, the Hunza Valley, and Turkey, with many of them reaching over 100 years. These people have one thing in common – they take regularly calcium-rich diet. And while they work hard, they find time to relax and enjoy life.

Procedures in Preparing Calcium Supplement

A research team headed by Professor Edward Quinto of the College of Science of the University of Santo Tomas discovered a practical source of calcium supplement extracted from the shell of table eggs. The finding was presented in a convention of the Biology Teachers Association (BIOTA) in 2002.

These steps are easy to follow in preparing calcium supplement from chicken eggshell.
• Collect fresh eggshells and wash them clean with running water.
• Dissolve eggshells in dilute 10% Hydrochloric Acid. Carbon dioxide gas bubbles during the process. .
• Precipitate the calcium as calcium carbonate by adding 30% sodium carbonate solution until the pH is 7.0. Use a laboratory pH meter to determine this neutral reaction.
• Collect the cloudy liquid in a graduated cylinder.
• Let the calcium carbonate precipitate and settle down, which takes around one-half hour.
• Decant the sodium chloride solution by-product.
• Collect the wet calcium carbonate suspension in a dish and dry it in an oven at temperatures of 80o to 100o Celsius. This is now the pure precipitated calcium carbonate powder. It is less expensive than commercial brands and its purity is assured. There is no bacterial contamination as long as precaution is followed. This method gives a better product than that of the conventional burning process.

Here are the advantages of powder Calcium Carbonate derived from this process.
• Calcium exists as white, fine powder;
• It is highly insoluble in water,
• It is odorless and tasteless in small amounts; and
• Easily blends with water

Other methods of extracting CaCO3 from eggshell

1. Physical Process – Powdering of eggshell by pounding in a mortar and pestle. (Note: Impure Calcium Carbonate has high probability of bacterial contamination, specifically Salmonella. Another drawback is that, CaCO3 may be difficult to digest and to be absorbed by the body due to the presence of collagen binder.)

2. Chemical Treatment
a. Heating in a furnace causes the decomposition of calcium carbonate

Egg Shell CaO + CO
CaO is later converted into calcium carbonate (CaCO3).

b. Precipitation as pure Calcium Carbonate
Egg Shell + HCl CaCl + H CO
CaCl + NaCO CaCO + 2NaCl

Process of Calcium Absorption in the Human Body
Calcium carbonate when taken in is dissolved in the gastric juice, which contains hydrochloric acid. Dissolved calcium exists as calcium ions, which are readily absorbed by the intestinal tract.

Foods that can be fortified with calcium

• Milk powder
• Pancit Canton
• Soup noodles
• Rice and rice products
• Bread and cakes
• Desserts like Leche Flan
• Ice cream
• Candies and other confectionery products
• Snacks like cereals, crackers
• Milk and chocolate drinks

Calcium is indeed a key to good health and strong body especially to people who are getting older. Next time don’t throw away those table eggshells – they are the cheapest source of this very important mineral. ~

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