How to make a simple tincture using eggshells and apple cider vinegar as a remedy for acid reflux or as a natural source of calcium and magnesium.
You pay good money for those local free-range, pastured eggs, so why in the world are you throwing out the eggshells?
Some folks say to use the shells for compost. Another school of thought says this isn’t such a great idea as eggshells don’t break down that easily.
If you don’t want to compost them, what is a good way to make use of all that calcium and a bit of magnesium in those excellent quality eggshells?
My Mother-in-Law, who is a holistically-minded nurse, makes a mineral-loaded tincture with crushed eggshells. She’s been using this remedy and natural supplement for decades. It’s very easy to make, but you must use quality apple cider vinegar and the best eggs.
How to Make Eggshell and Apple Cider Vinegar Tincture
It is best to use apple cider vinegar made yourself, but if this isn’t possible, then buy only raw, unfiltered ACV packaged in glass. ACV in plastic will leach toxins into the vinegar!
It is also important to only use fresh eggs. This easy water test for old eggs will ensure the optimal safety of this apple cider vinegar remedy.
How Much of this ACV Remedy to Take?
Use 1 teaspoon mixed into an 8 oz glass of filtered water up to three times per day as a mineral boost and digestive aid. It is also helpful after meals as an acid reflux remedy for those who are susceptible.
Eggshell and Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy
Easy recipe for apple cider vinegar remedy using eggshells to use as a calcium and magnesium supplement or to remedy the symptoms of acid reflux.
Ingredients
- 12 eggshells pastured and organic
- 16 ounces apple cider vinegar raw, unfiltered, preferably organic
Instructions
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Remove the inner membrane from each cleaned, cracked and used eggshell and crush lightly in a mortar and pestle. You don't need to crush the eggshell into a powder, just into small pieces.
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Place eggshell bits in a one quart mason jar and add 1 pint of cider vinegar and close the lid. Make sure you use a one quart mason jar as the mixture tends to foam up so you will need the extra room in the jar.
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Soak for at least a week, then use as desired.
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Leave eggshell tincture on the counter or in the pantry. No need to refrigerate.
Please try using a small amount of yogurt, plain nonfat non Greek yogurg, stirring in a small amount – 1/3 tsp or so of powdered by Epica grinder egg shell. Leave the mixture on a counter for several hours. It will bubble; stirring could encourage that. It is much better in my experience for helping to get to sleep than just using a larger amount of plain nonfat yogurt. The yogurt is nonsweetened, that I used. I am reposting because did not get a clear message that my original comment was received perhaps because I unchecked to receive the newsletter so am trying again. …
Try a little powdered egg shell perhaps 1/3 tsp or so stirred into a small amount of yogurt. Leave the mixture out for several hours to act. At the end of that time, after bubbles have formed, the egg shell is entirely dissolved. An Epica grinder was used to powder the egg shell and this mixture was more effective than plain yogurt at helping me get to sleep, noticeably better. I used plain nonfat non Greek style yogurt. .
A friend of mine told me to put egg shells in the oven at 350 for about 10 min – this will kill any bacteria – then I crush them and put in coffee grinder and grind to powder – keep in sealed jar and I take the tip of a spoon and put mixture on my tongue and chase with a glass of water – no more meds for acid reflux for me! BTW – I only take every other day
As far as apple cider vinegar –
I drink 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water every morning!’
How long to leave it to brew?…. before i start to use it?
Thanks Sarah!
In the 60s my mum dissolved the shell with lemon juice to use it as calcium supplement.
With acid reflux and other gastric acid problems, it is not too much stomach acid (hydrochloric) that is the problem. It is the under-production of stomach acid that leads to proteins not being able to be broken down properly and then attacked by digestive tract flora that produce the wrong type of acid (acetic, lactic, etc.) in a non-helpful way that can cause an overabundance that leads to increased wrong acid types. Taking any calcium based antacid will then, neutralize the first reactive acids it comes in contact with and being that that is stomach acid, you allow the acids your body doesn’t naturally produce to do too much work.
The use of store bought calcium type antacids, does the same thing as this remedy; it masks the real problem of the underproduction of real stomach acid by neutralizing most acids all together. This can lead to the wrong gut floras like H. Pylori. With vinegar (acetic acid) to boot, you neutralize most of the reactive neutralization of acid via calcium before it hits your stomach by reacting it with acid before it ever enters your digestive tract. In other words, you’re not converting calcium to a more useful form for the intended purpose.
Hydrochloric acid production is our bodies main way of breaking down nutrients in order to absorb critical minerals like magnesium and some B type vitamins, etc. The less we have of it, the more we rely on the gut flora acids to do it, which doesn’t help the problem.
If you ignore what causes low stomach acid (Hypochlorhydria), things like Helicobacter pylori, and rely on the WRONG pro-biotic acids for proper digestion of what self produced stomach acid does, you end up needing to find remedies that are fast but self defeating in the long run.
Eating a diet rich in Garlic for the Allium content, while following a diet that promotes normal levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the gut and not causing an overabundance, can keep H. pylori in check without causing and/or adding to the heartburn H. pylori causes. Another solution would be to take the correct amount of natural hydrochloric acid in the form of betaine hydrochloride tablets until you can properly balance out the problem through trial and error.
If you’re relying more and more on pro-biotic digestion to keep indigestion down, it is probably because you’ve lessened the bodies own ability to produce stomach acid in some way, possibly as described above.
Thanks for this info! I am just now starting to dissolve egg shell calcium in apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Just trying to find good info about that and the benefits. Thanks again!
Sarah,
Do you drink the shells or strain them out? How soon can I start using after I make the tincture?
Thanks!
OMG. I just made some of this for my SIL who suffers from acid reflux. I tasted a teensy bit to see if I thought she would have a hard time taking it. . . . Totally gag-worthy! It was horrible! I came very close to losing my dinner. I think I’ll just tell her to try plain ACV. I’ve read other places that it can give good results. I love your blog, Sarah, but this one just isn’t working for me.
Hi, Sarah:
Could you tell me if the eggshells need to be sterilized before doing this? Should I boil them in water for 5 minutes, or will the vinegar kill any pathogens? Thanks!
what is a TBL? thanks !
Tablespoon