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Writer's pictureFranco Cavaleri, BSc, Ph.Dc

Osteoporosis is on the rise despite mega-calcium intake!

Updated: Oct 16, 2023

But here comes the good old egg to the rescue.

Original post: October 7, 2010



Calcium calcium and more calcium but we’re still haunted by an escalating rate of osteoporosis. With all the calcium we’re consuming in fortified food and supplements statics should be showing that we’re building big strong dinosaur bones but it’s not happening. Osteoporosis is still on the rise for people at all stages of life and it has less to do with calcium than we’re led to believe.


Osteoporosis is on the rise despite mega-calcium intake!

There’s no bone about it, calcium is irrefutably a central component for bone, but bone mineralization depends on other minerals like magnesium, zinc and copper; and it depends on vitamin cofactors like vitamin D. In this day and age, most of us are well aware of these bone ingredients but getting them daily in the right proportion and in doses high enough to make a long term difference isn’t always easy.


Osteoporosis is on the rise despite mega-calcium intake!

But even for those who are able to plan and correctly administer bone supplements with regularity, osteoporosis is still a risk. The reason is becoming clearer as research opens windows that penetrate deep to the worker cells responsible for managing calcium and bone density- the osteoclast and the osteoblast.


Osteoporosis is on the rise despite mega-calcium intake!

Diet and lifestyle play huge roles in how these specialized cells use calcium for bone generation or absorb calcium from bone to buffer unhealthy pH of the blood and body. And the most common driver of unhealthy pH is poor lifestyle, including acidifying diet. The fast paced, fast food North American way is a contributor to osteoporosis in multiple ways beyond calcium limitation. Addressing the calcium factor through supplementation of the mineral on its own or even when accompanied by other conventional bone minerals and vitamin D, just isn’t enough to make a bone building difference in the face of the lifestyle influence.


Osteoporosis is on the rise despite mega-calcium intake!

And guess what; cardiovascular disease is linked directly to this bone calcium subject matter. As calcium is pulled from bone to buffer an unhealthy body pH, the circulating calcium also increases the risk for unhealthy clotting activity. That’s right: too much free calcium can contribute to unmanaged blood clots and serious repercussions. In other words, the right calcium source with the right biological influence to accompany the bone minerals is crucial not only to bone health but to general health.


The answer to this ongoing problem is to supply these mineral building blocks while overriding the lifestyle-induced interference on those bone worker cells – osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts are responsible for taking calcium away from bone to help neutralize lifestyle or metabolic-induced pH changes while osteoblasts busily collect calcium to build bone matrix. In order for bone to be built from any supplemental calcium, these worker cells must be appropriately stimulated to override negative lifestyle influences. Physical activity, for example, activates calcium collection for bone mineralization and works additively alongside nutritional osteoblast activators. And the right ACTIVE lifestyle and ACTIVATING nutritional formulae also lower the cardiovascular risk associated with free calcium.


This is where eggshell calcium rises above and way beyond mere calcium supplementation. Research reveals that eggshell calcium’s superior bioavailability is derived from naturally occurring transporter proteins inherent in the eggshell matrix. Studies demonstrated a nearly 20% increase in calcium bioavailability attributed to the unique proteins found in eggshell. This means the body is able to use this type of calcium better than isolated highly processed forms.


Eggshell calcium (ESC) not only provides a highly concentrated source of calcium that is accompanied by peptide carriers, it also provides relevant levels of other trace minerals necessary for bone health including strontium, magnesium, zinc, and copper. Interestingly these minerals are provided by the eggshell in proportions that are close to that of bone matrix. Research has shown that strontium enhances bone mineralization through a dual-action of stimulating bone formation by those specialized osteoblasts and inhibiting bone resorption (destruction) by the osteoclasts; overriding those lifestyle influences that degrade bone.


Membrell’s BONEhealth™ features ESC (100% Natural EggShell Calcium). Unlike regular calcium salts, ESC is a naturally ultra-refined form of calcium not associated with unpleasant digestive discomforts. Published studies also report that egg shell calcium does not carry the same risk of contamination with heavy metals either. And this purification process is a function of an evolutionary process that protects the embryo and the chick from environmental toxicity just like nature protects the human fetus through placental filtration.


Osteoporosis is on the rise despite mega-calcium intake!

All of these features of the egg are naturally built in to support bone enhancement every step of the way; from absorption in the gut, to transport and all the way to construction of sturdy bone matrix. And the complete process reduces the chance of free calcium circulating dangerously in the blood to contribute to clots, arteriosclerosis and other cardiovascular risks. Avoiding calcium supplementation because of the cardiovascular risks is not an option today. Selecting the right source is. Choosing the right source means that the risk of heavy metals and other toxins has been naturally filtered out and it means that an ACTIVE calcium source is being supplemented and not a passive supply. Ultimately, it means that calcium is more likely to improve bone health and not interfere with general wellness.


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