Coral calcium is a mineral supplement derived from the world's coral reefs, a natural source of two minerals -- calcium and magnesium. Since its introduction as a dietary supplement, coral calcium has been the subject of hot controversies, some fueled by unsubstantiated marketing claims about its benefits and properties. Other issues that surround this supplement include product purity and questions about the ecological impacts of reef mining.
Calcium Function
Your calcium intake supports bone and tooth formation. The Alabama Cooperative Extension notes that calcium may play a role in the reduction of high blood pressure and might have benefits for people with colon cancer. However, you can get these benefits from dietary calcium or from calcium supplements that come from any source.
Coral Calcium Features
Coral calcium supplements mainly come from tropical ocean reefs. The manufacturers harvest coral calcium from the deposits on the ocean floor or areas on land near coral reefs. Coral calcium in its natural form contains a significant amount of calcium and magnesium in elemental form.
In raw coral calcium, the ratio of calcium to magnesium is usually 2:1. None of the coral calcium supplements listed in the U.S. National Library of Medicine's database provides 100 percent of the recommended 1,000 mg intake of calcium. Two such supplements that claim to contain 1,000 mg of coral calcium show different amounts of available calcium per 1,000 mg. One provides 250 mg of calcium and the other provides 370 mg per dose, according to the product labels. The magnesium content listed for these supplements is 125 mg and 56 mg, respectively.
Warnings
As early as 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began taking legal action against coral calcium marketers whose products contain misleading information or unproven health claims. The FDA's consumer warnings and legal actions have focused on halting sales by marketers who claim that coral calcium helps you lose weight; prevents or cures cancer; and treats hypertension, multiple sclerosis or heart disease. Independent testing has detected impurities and unsafe levels of lead in some coral calcium supplements, according to the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Controversies
An important issue surrounding coral calcium supplements is unsubstantiated claims that coral calcium is a better source of calcium that your body absorbs more easily. Pharmacist Richard Harkness,in an article in "The Sun Herald" newspaper, states that the body's calcium absorption rate from any source ranges between 25 and 35 percent. In the case of coral calcium, which is calcium carbonate, the calcium content is only 40 percent of the product, providing even less calcium for your body to absorb.
Commercial manufacturers mine the world's coral reefs for their raw materials. The ecosystem that supports coral reefs is already fragile, with numerous unhealthy and dying reefs. The impact that coral calcium harvesters have on coral reef ecosystems is an additional threat to the world's oceans.
References
- Alabama Cooperative Extension Service; Beware of Coral-Calcium Claims; June 2003
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, Appendix B-5. Food Sources of Calcium
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Vitabase Coral Calcium 1000 mg
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Vitamin World Coral Calcium 500 mg Plus Vitamin D
- "The Sun Herald"; Don't Be Taken in by Coral Calcium Claims; Richard Harkness; June 2003
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Coral Calcium; May 2011
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