Cracking into the bone health market: Eggshells can help grow and heal bones, finds study

10 Jul 2019 --- Crushed eggshells combined with a hydrogel mixture could one day be applied to repair bones in patients with injuries due to aging, accidents, cancer or military combat, according to University of Massachusetts Lowell researchers. The high levels of naturally occurring calcium carbonate render the eggshells suitable for this medical application, but have also presented a potential for use in bone, joint and mobility supplements. The use of natural eggshell membranes (NEM) in supplement applications is increasing.

Natural eggshell membrane contains calcium carbonate, protein, glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, and its use on a joint health platform is growing. According to Innova Market Insights, the number of product launches tracked with eggshell membrane increased by nearly five-fold between 2017 and 2018, albeit from a small base.Gulden Camci-Unal (on the right) with Xinchen Wu. Credit: Edwin Aguirre for Umass Lowell.

“This is the first study that uses eggshell particles in a hydrogel matrix for bone repair. We have already filed a patent for it and are very excited about our results. We anticipate the process can be adapted for use in many significant ways,” says Camci-Unal, adding that one day, eggshell particles could also serve as a vehicle to deliver proteins, peptides, growth factors, genes and medications to the body.

Through an innovative process, crushed eggshells are inserted into a hydrogel mixture that forms a miniature frame to grow bone in the laboratory to be used for bone grafts. To do so, bone cells would be taken from the patient’s body, introduced into this substance and then cultivated in an incubator before the resulting new bone is implanted into the patient.

The research demonstrates that when eggshell particles – which are primarily made of calcium carbonate – are incorporated into the hydrogel mixture, they increase bone cells’ ability to grow and harden, which could potentially result in faster healing. 

Also, because the bone would be generated from cells taken from the patient, the possibility that the individual’s immune system would reject the new material is greatly reduced, according to Assistant Professor Gulden Camci-Unal, who led the study.

The process could also be used to help grow cartilage, teeth and tendons, she adds.

The increase of products with eggshell membrane on the market is accelerating. Source: Innova Market Insights. 

Eggshell for joint health?
The market for ingredients that target joint and bone health is booming. Innova Market Insights data has shown that 7 percent of UK consumers used prescription medication for bone health in the past year, while 21 percent used prescription medication for joint health. The market researcher’s data have further shown that mobility is one of the top concerns for UK and US consumers, while products featuring mobility claims accounted for almost 17 percent of all supplements tracked globally between 2013 and 2017. 

As research further uncovers the links between healthy bones and eggshell membranes, industry could see increased NPD utilizing the ingredient. The increase of products with eggshell membrane on the market is growing – especially ones combined with hydrolyzed collagen.

One company active in this space is Stratum Nutrition. Earlier this year, it launched a progressive joint health clinical trial to evaluate its eggshell membrane joint health ingredient.

“With this ongoing study, we intend to satisfy both US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) strong preference for two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to substantiate labeling and advertising claims. With the added benefit that both RCTs were conducted in exercising healthy populations, brand marketers will have access to meaningful claims that will resonate with end consumers,” comments Kevin J. Ruff, Ph.D., Senior Director of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for Stratum Nutrition. 

The back-to-back trials are intended to evaluate whether NEM can reduce cartilage turnover or alleviate joint pain and stiffness. The previous 2018 study found that a 500 mg dose of NEM, when taken once a day, rapidly improved recovery from exercise-induced joint pain and stiffness, as well as significantly reduced discomfort immediately following exercise. A substantial chondroprotective effect was also demonstrated from NEM supplementation through a lasting decrease in the cartilage degradation biomarker, CTX-II. 

By Laxmi Haigh