<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Coral calcium has been reviewed by a number of dietitian experts.
Here's two *excellent* and current reviews available online:
www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/ DSH/coral.html
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/ds/dsCoralCalcium.php
Below is an answer from Paul Thomas, RD who authors and publishes a
newsletter called "The Dietary Supplement":
Entering the term "coral calcium" into a computer search engine brings
up hundreds of sites extolling the supposed virtues of this product,
many of them selling it as well. For example, Galaxymall.com urges the
visitor to "Consume coral calcium--to live long, live healthy, and pain
free!" The sites are filled with anecdotes where people who took this
supplement found relief from heartburn, osteoarthritis, had their
cholesterol levels lowered, increased their energy levels and stamina,
were cured of prostate and other cancers, and more. Robert Barefoot, a
self-described chemist whose views are often touted by these sites,
boldly states that the cure of most diseases lies simply in taking large
doses of vitamins and minerals, specifically coral calcium, which he
says is also rich in many trace elements. (Barefoot's website is
www.CureAmerica.net.)
Unfortunately, there's no scientific evidence that calcium obtained
from coral reefs is a cure-all for any medical problem. Its proponents
point to the fact that the Okinawan people living on the southern
islands of Japan drink coral-containing water and use coral-rich
fertilizers to grow their food and live long and healthy lives. What
they don't point out is that these people eat very healthy diets rich in
fruits and vegetables and fish, are very physically active, and have
strong family and social ties, factors that are much more likely to
account for their good health and longevity.1 As for the claim that
coral calcium puts the body in a health-promoting alkaline (as compared
to acid) state, there's simply no scientific basis for this contention
or that such a state, even if it could be achieved, would prevent and
cure disease.
Coral calcium is often claimed to be 100% absorbed, but that's
simply not true. No mineral is, and that's a good thing. For example,
it's the unabsorbed calcium passing through the gut that helps to reduce
the risks of kidney stones and colon cancer since it binds to
problematic compounds in food and those left over from digestion.2
Coral calcium is calcium carbonate, the same form as found in widely
available calcium supplements like Tums and Os-Cal . And while 500 mg of
calcium from these latter two products costs about 8-11¢, the same
amount from coral will set you back anywhere from a quarter to about $2.00.
Another reason to be wary of coral calcium is because it's obtained
from ocean coral reefs consisting of the calcium-carbonate skeletons of
living organisms. These structures provide food and shelter for many
other life forms but are being destroyed at an alarming rate by direct
destruction and pollution.3 (The latter factor raises the possibility
that this supplement may sometimes contain undeclared contaminants).
Some sellers of the product claim that they only use fossilized coral
that falls to the ocean bottom or is washed ashore onto beaches and
don't harvest the live reef, but there's little reason to take a
supplement derived from a diminishing natural resource that offers no
apparent nutritional advantages to more conventional sources of calcium.
1 BJ Willcox, et al. The Okinawa Program. Three Rivers Press, New York,
NY. 2001. 484 pp., softcover.
2 RP Heaney. Factors influencing the measurement of bioavailability,
taking calcium as a model. Journal of Nutrition 131(4S):1344S-1348S,
April 2001.
3 P Weber. Safeguarding oceans. Pp. 41-60 in: State of the World 1994,
by LR Brown, et al. WW Norton & Co., New York, NY. 1994. 265 pp., softcover.
I write and publish a bimonthly newsletter on dietary supplements titled
"The Dietary Supplement." For information about it, me, contents of all
issues, an online sample issue, and how to purchase single issues or a
subscription, please go to my website, listed below:
Paul R. Thomas, Ed.D., R.D., Founder, President, & Managing Membe
The Dietary Supplement LLC
11905 Bristol Manor Court
Rockville, MD 20852-5802
Writer & publisher of "The Dietary Supplement" newsletter
Email: [log in to unmask]
Website: http://www.TheDietarySupplement.com
Shelley Case, B. Sc., RD
Case Nutrition Consulting, www.glutenfreediet.ca
<http://www.glutenfreediet.ca>
Author: Gluten Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide
Co-Author: Celiac Section, Manual of Clinical Dietetics, American
Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada
Medical Advisory Board: Celiac Disease Foundation, Gluten Intolerance
Group, Canadian Celiac Association
Dietitian Advisory Board: Gluten-Free Living Magazine
EMail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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