There is a significant amount of controversy regarding coral calcium. On one end of the spectrum, coral calcium is considered to be a fabulous cure-all, treating everything from cancer to heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's. On the other end of the spectrum, coral calcium is seen as nothing more than a marketing scam. The moderate view is that coral calcium is simply a fairly good calcium supplement.
Types
There are various types of coral calcium on the market. These include sango, ionized, clinical grade, fossilized and Robert Barefoot's Formula, among others.
Almost all coral calcium supplements are derived from a specific region in Japan called Okinawa. Sango coral calcium is the local Okinawan reference to the word coral in general and thus, all Okinawan coral calcium is sango coral calcium.
Calcium ions have a positive, +2, charge. All Okinawan coral calcium is ionized, and therefore, all Okinawan coral calcium is positively charged. That is the nature of ionized calcium. This ionization, or dissociation of the calcium ion, makes the calcium more available for use in the human body.
Coral calcium advertised as clinical grade has no inherently significant meaning, as there is no standard grading system for coral calcium.
In terms of the type of coral calcium known as Robert Barefoot Formula, the data is problematic. According to the Coral Calcium Watchdog, a nonprofit website formed by the Calcium Research Society, Robert Barefoot has licensed his name to a company which has developed several brands of coral calcium products through several distributors. However, Robert Barefoot has parted ways with the licensor of his name. Therefore, it is not clear if there is one specific formulation associated with Robert Barefoot or whether he still endorses such a product.
Mechanism of Action
The specific mechanism by which coral calcium works in the body is unknown. However, several theories exist. One theory is that coral calcium regulates the body's pH. However, the pH of the body varies significantly depending upon the site being tested; stomach pH is relatively low, saliva pH is relatively neutral, for example. In the blood, the body has an buffer system that generally acts to keep the pH within a narrow range. In addition, the only acidity level that calcium supplements can modify is the acidity of urine.
Other theories for how coral calcium works include homeopathic or a cell salt theory, both of which are alternative medicine theories.
A moderate view is that coral calcium may be highly absorbable by the human body because it acts synergistically with other minerals besides calcium that are also found in coral. Coral polyps pre-digest coral calcium, and that may also contribute to the ease of assimilation of coral calcium in the body.
Content of Coral Calcium
Coral calcium contains 20 percent calcium and 10 percent magnesium by weight . According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the ratio of these two minerals correlates with their recommended daily allowances. The presence of magnesium increases the ability of the body to absorb calcium, and may contribute to the reason why coral calcium seems to be better absorbed by the body than other calcium supplements.
Considerations
According to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, coral calcium supplements may be much more expensive than other calcium supplement types. In addition, because coral calcium is obtained by the direct harvest of natural coral reefs, using coral calcium contributes to the destruction of the coral reef ecosystem.
Warning
According to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Association have issued warnings to numerous website operators who have advertised unsubstantiated benefits for coral calcium. In addition, ConsumerLab.com, an independent testing company, found excessive levels of lead in some calcium supplements. Therefore, caution should be used when choosing a calcium supplement.
Member Comments
sterlaur2 January 21
Can you shed some light as to how and why chemically speaking the body craves sweets after eating salty foods. Can this in any way be related to subtle PH changes after consuming salt? Does salt affect the PH at all? Sugary foods as I understand may have an acidic affect on the body?