In recent years, there’s been growing interest in natural and sustainable ways to improve health and wellness. Among these ideas, one that often circulates online is the belief that boiling eggshells can help prevent or treat disease. But how much of that is true? Let’s take a closer look at what science and nutrition actually say.

Eggshells are composed of around 95% calcium carbonate, along with small amounts of protein and other trace minerals like magnesium and phosphorus. When you boil them, a few things happen:

Bacteria such as Salmonella are destroyed.
This makes the shells safe to handle or use in other ways.

Some calcium leaches into the water.

This is why “eggshell tea” or eggshell water is sometimes used as a natural calcium source for plants or even as a supplement after proper preparation.

So yes—boiling makes eggshells cleaner and more useful, but that doesn’t mean they become a medicine.