What is Coral Calcium?
Coral calcium is heavily promoted as a superior form of calcium. It is a form of calcium derived from coral reefs.Corals themselves are tiny animals related to jellyfish and sea anemones. Coral forms a hard protective skeleton of calcium carbonate. When coral dies, new generations of coral grow on top of the calcium carbonate remains, eventually forming a coral reef.
Coral Calcium is not a Cure-All
One of the most aggressive promoters of coral calcium is Robert R. Barefoot, author of the book The Calcium Factor and owner of a company selling a coral calcium supplement called Coral Calcium Supreme Plus.Barefoot and his company marketed coral calcium as a cure for diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus, heart disease, and high blood pressure. His main premise was that excess acidity makes the body susceptible to disease and that coral calcium made the body more alkaline.
Another claim was that calcium deficiency was the cause of the diseases and that coral calcium was the cure.
In 2003, the Federal Trade Commision initiated legal action against Barefoot and his company. Kevin Trudeau, author of the book Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About, was also reported to violate the FTC Act by claiming that coral calcium could cure disease as the host of Barefoot's infomercials.
In January 2004, a federal court ruled in favor of the FTC against Barefoot and his company, prohibiting them from making unsubstantiated claims about their coral calcium product or any other product. The FTC also sent warning letters to websites making similar claims about coral calcium.
Barefoot still sells his coral calcium product, minus the claims that it can cure.
No Evidence Coral Calcium is Better
Despite claims made by marketers, there is no evidence that coral calcium is superior to any other form of calcium. Coral calcium is calcium carbonate, the most common type of calcium on the market. Coral calcium isn't chemically different from other calcium carbonate products.Although coral calcium contains small amounts of trace elements, such as manganese, there is no evidence that the trace minerals are any better than those you would find in a high quality multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Coral Calcium May Contain Unwanted Trace Elements
Also, not all of the trace elements found in coral calcium, such as cadmium, uranium, and mercury, are desirable.There are concerns that coral calcium, like other natural calcium carbonate sources oyster shell, dolomite, and bone meal, may contain lead.
Coral Calcium is Often More Expensive
Coral calcium is generaly more expensive than other sources of calcium carbonate.Potential Allergic Reactions
People with shellfish allergies may develop allergic reactions after ingesting coral calcium supplements.Coral Calcium is not the Fountain of Youth
Much of the marketing hype stems from the fact that coral calcium is harvested from coral in Okinawa, Japan. Okinawans, are thought to have the longest life expectancy in the world and have low rates of heart disease and cancer.Marketers of coral calcium say this is because Okinawans drink water containing coral calcium. But researchers involved with the Okinawa Centenarian Study debunk this claim, saying that although hard water (water high in minerals such as calcium and magnesium) does increase calcium intake, Okinawans still consume less calcium than people in Western countries.
Bottom Line
Bottom line is, there is no evidence showing coral calcium is any better than purified calcium carbonate products and because of the cost and concerns about contamination, it should be avoided.Sources
"Consumer Advisory: Coral Calcium" NCCAM, National Institutes of Health. November 2004. 8 Sept 2006. <http://nccam.nih.gov/health/alerts/coral/coral.htm>
"Marketers of Coral Calcium Product Are Prohibited from Making Disease Treatment and Cure Claims in Advertising" Federal Trade Commission. 22 Jan 2004. 8 Sept 2006. <http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/01/barefoot.htm>
"Okinawa Centenarian Study Position Statement on Coral Calcium" Okinawa Centenarian Study. 7 Jan 2003. 8 Sept 2006. <http://okinawaprogram.com/coral_calcium/coral-calcium.html>
"Coral calcium: Safe for people with shellfish allergies?" Mayo Clinic Website. 24 Feb 2005. 8 Sept 2006. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calcium/AN00494>
"Coral Calcium" Claims Debunked. ConsumerAffairs.com. 10 Feb 2003. 8 Sept 2006. <http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news03/coral.html>
