There are so many different calcium supplements on the market -- and so many different claims about supplement benefits made by manufacturers -- that it can be hard to pick the right one. Two common calcium supplements include coral calcium and oyster shell calcium. Though there are some differences between the two, in the end, they have much in common.
Calcium Needs
Your body needs calcium to help maintain the integrity and health of your skeletal system. You also use calcium for a variety of other purposes, including maintaining the heartbeat, muscle function, and cell-to-cell communication mechanisms. MayoClinic.com recommends that you get 1,000 mg per day of calcium if you're a man younger than 71 or a woman younger than 51. You can fulfill this requirement with dietary calcium or calcium from supplements.
Coral Calcium
One exotic-sounding form of calcium supplement is coral calcium, which became popular when individuals selling coral calcium via infomercials suggested that it was responsible for the famously long lives of the residents of Okinawa, Japan. That claim has since been discredited, notes nutritionist Deborah Straub in a 2007 article published in "Nutrition in Clinical Practice," and there's no scientific evidence that coral calcium has any benefits beyond those of ordinary calcium carbonate, its primary constituent.
Oyster Calcium
Like coral calcium, oyster calcium is composed primarily of calcium carbonate. Unlike coral calcium, however, oyster calcium is less detrimental to the environment when harvested. A 2004 article published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" notes that coral reef destruction to produce coral calcium is very harmful to marine ecosystems. Oyster shell calcium, on the other hand, is less destructive. Most individuals can absorb calcium carbonate from oyster shell sources without difficulty.
Concerns
Both oyster shell calcium and coral calcium can be contaminated with lead. Lead is a neurotoxin that affects the brain and nervous system. As such, one inexpensive and reasonable alternative to both types of calcium supplements are plain calcium carbonate pills. These offer the added advantage of making effective antacids; both Tums and Rolaids contain calcium carbonate as their primary active ingredient, and both serve dual roles as antacids and calcium supplements.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Calcium Needs
- "Nutrition in Clinical Practice"; Calcium Supplementation in Clinical Practice: A Review of Forms, Doses, and Indications; D. Straub; 2007
- "American Dietetic Association"; Is coral calcium a safe and effective supplement?; Susan Blumberg; September 2004
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