As the name suggests, coral calcium comes from coral, which means it was once
a part of an ocean reef. In fact, the product which is being sold as a dietary
supplement is simply coral which has been ground up into a fine powder,
purified, or processed. Coral reefs are formed primarily by Calcium carbonate
which is produced by tiny coral polyps. These polyps feed on various forms of
plankton which are rich in minerals.
I won't go into details about the structure of the coral except to say that it is the
end result of minerals and trace elements which have been pre-digested by
these little polyps. Because of the digestion process the minerals that make up
the coral are considered to be organic, even the calcium carbonate which is
usually inorganic. If you are interested in learning more about how the coral reefs
came about I would suggest that you go to http://www.uvi.edu/coral.reefer/ which
is an excellent website on the subject.
There are now a large number of companies promoting coral calcium but only
about a dozen that actually harvest the raw product in Japan, or more specifically
Okinawa which is a prefecture of Japan. These companies supply the coral
calcium to manufacturers and distributors world-wide in either raw or finished
form. Those companies then encapsulate the product or tablet them, often
adding additional nutrients to improve the efficacy.
There is nothing exclusive about coral calcium. Manufacturers can source the
raw coral calcium from a number of different sources, so if a promoter claims that
they have exclusive rights to coral calcium you can discount that claim. The
coral calcium processors are only interested in selling raw product and they do
not have exclusive marketing arrangements.
If you are interested in using coral calcium as part of your health regime, it is
important that you understand that...
Not all coral calcium's are the same!
This is in spite of the fact that most of the coral calcium's come from Okinawa. In
common with most ingredients used in dietary supplements there are good and
bad variations. The main aspect which creates that differential is:
a) The type of processing.
b) Whether the coral is harvested above or below sea.
There are two main types of processing carried out on the coral. One involves
heating it to very high temperatures in order to evaporate the majority of the
heavy metals. The other process involves purifying the coral with ozone to kill
any bacteria present. The ozone treatment is not necessary when the coral is
heated because that kills anything that's alive in any case.
It's actually quite simple to determine which type of processing the coral has
been subject to. The high temperature processing is limited to the under sea
coral whereas the above sea coral is usually treated with the ozone process.
There is a sound reason for the different types of processing.
It's all about contaminants and the different methods of
harvesting!
There is a significant difference between the amount of contaminants in the
above and below sea corals. The above sea coral is 'old' coral or fossilized coral
and may be millions of years old. As such it was formed well before man begun
to pollute the oceans. In contrast the below coral is nowhere near as 'old' and as
it is still in the ocean it has, and is being subjected to industrial pollution.
The difference becomes clear when you examine the certificates of analysis of
the various 'brands' of coral calcium supplied by the Japanese harvesters and/or
processors. The undersea coral is heavily contaminated with heavy metals
including mercury as well as PCB's. (Pesticide residues) Even after they have
been given the heat treatment the levels of heavy metals, although safe are well
above those in the above sea coral before any treatment at all.
The seas around Japan are heavily polluted as are most Northern Hemisphere
waters. I remember that it was not all that many years ago when there was a
major mercury problem in local fish that caused serious illness and many deaths
in Japan. The cause was traced down to a factory releasing mercury direct into
the ocean.
Although they have cleaned up their 'act' to a degree on this particular issue
pollution is still a serious problem. Mind you, it is also serious in North America
when literally thousand of tons a year of mercury are released into the ocean,
which has prompted the FDA to issue warnings about consuming some types of
fish.
Anyway, it is no mystery as to why the undersea coral has such high levels of
heavy metals prior to processing.
In contrast, the above sea coral is harvested from the Okinawan islands in much
the same way as open case mining. The top soil is removed and the coral is
'mined'. These islands are made from ancient coral reefs which have become
islands through shifting ocean levels over the ages. Therefore this coral has not
been exposed to industrial pollution.
The undersea coral is harvested using big suction dredges mechanically working
the ocean bed around the reefs. The dredges suck up everything in their path
including stones and all sea life in the vicinity and there is not doubt that the
damage to the ecology is significant.
Calcium/Magnesium ratios of coral calcium
This is an interesting issue. One major supplier of coral calcium produces a
product which contains a suggested 'ideal' ratio of 2 parts calcium to 1 part
magnesium. Note: There has never been any scientific validation of the
'idealness' to my knowledge and in some ways it's a little strange given that
calcium and magnesium are antagonists. In other words they oppose each other.
Anyway, I asked the Japanese suppliers if they add magnesium to obtain this 2:1
ratio. They adamantly deny this but they cannot supply evidence that they don't.
Rather interesting in that no independent scientists have ever found that ratio of
calcium to magnesium in any samples of coral or for that matter anywhere else in
nature.
So, if you are buying coral calcium with a 2:1 calcium/magnesium ratio you can
be certain the magnesium has been added. That may be OK, no one really
knows... just disconcerting that all is not 'up front'.
If you have looked into buying coral calcium you will have found that there can be
some big variations in price. This is where you need to exercise some good
common sense judgment. Quality coral calcium is not cheap, but then it should
not be as expensive as some of the products on the market. In my opinion the
above sea coral is definitely best, providing it has been ozone treated.
Avoid the really cheap products as some of these coral calcium's may be of
questionable purity. For your information one of our subscribers referred me to a
website called coral calcium watch-dog.com. The URL is
http://www.coralcalcium-watchdog.com/compare.htm it's worth looking at if you
are contemplating buying coral calcium.
Now that we have covered the product in general terms we can now look at the
questionable claims.
Questionable claims!
The claims made by many coral calcium promoters are extensive and need to be
put into perspective. Unfortunately in order to do so it is necessary to refute a
number of them. This is a pity but it should not reflect on the product itself but
rather on the methods used in its promotion.
The following are typical 'questionable' claims:
• Coral Calcium contains a special microbe that pulls minerals through the
intestinal wall.
• Coral Calcium 'cures' cancer.
• Coral Calcium can change the cells of the body from acid to alkaline.
• Coral Calcium is the reason for the longevity of the Okinawan people.
• Coral Calcium is safe in large doses.
Let's first examine the most ridiculous claim. "Coral Calcium contains a special
microbe that pulls minerals through the intestinal wall".
This is so far out that I can only shake my head in wonderment how the
promoters can still get away with it! Anyway, this is what the promoters claim and
I quote: "When you take below sea Coral Calcium there are special microbes that
will come out of the coral and literally pull the minerals through your intestinal
wall into the blood stream". This I'm afraid is pure fantasy as no such microbes
have even been found in coral and should such a 'beast' exist I doubt very much
that it would be hardy enough to withstand the 1,000 degree heat which marine
coral is subjected to as part of the process to vaporize heavy metals. That would
be one powerful microbe!!
Coral calcium cures cancer?
Some companies claim that coral calcium cures every imaginable type of cancer.
They also claim it will cure just about any other ailment as well
There is evidence that suggests that calcium in general is helpful in preventing
colon cancer. Calcium acts as a protective agent in the colon, precipitating
carcinogenic surfactants which in turn protect the epithelial lining of the intestinal
tract. (Lapre, et al, 1993)
I am sure that coral calcium as with other calcium's is helpful in fighting other
cancers as well PROVIDED it is combined with part of an overall wellness
regime. But, to say it is a cure for cancer is way over the top! A program for the
prevention of cancer is multi-faceted and no one single nutrient can do it all.
Changing the cells from being acidic to alkaline
Much of the argument supporting the claims of coral calcium to cure cancer and
many other ailments is based on the premise that when you ingest coral calcium
you change the pH state of your body and thus the cells from acid to alkaline.
(pH is the term used to measure the degree of acidity or alkalinity in the body).
The promoters of this 'cure' claim that cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline
environment. This is true... but no cells including healthy ones can live in an
alkaline environment either so the argument is negated.
Taking calcium supplements or eating certain foods can change your pH
levels…but only in your body fluids, not your blood. So, the argument that the
actual cells are changed from being acidic to alkaline after ingesting coral
calcium is questionable. The evidence suggests that the cells like the blood
maintain a neutral pH. This same principle applies to any other substance that
you may ingest. To better understand the logic behind this…a quick biology
lesson:
Your stomach is always acidic. It has to be otherwise you could not digest your
food. When your food passes out of your stomach into your intestine it is acidic.
Secretions from your pancreas neutralize the acidity. The fluctuation between
acidity and alkalinity is very small and is controlled by your organs.
The medical mainstream position is that neither the intake of food or
supplements will have any impact on the acidity of your bloodstream or your cells
calcium to magnesium in any samples of coral or for that matter anywhere else in
nature.
So, if you are buying coral calcium with a 2:1 calcium/magnesium ratio you can
be certain the magnesium has been added. That may be OK, no one really
knows... just disconcerting that all is not 'up front'.
If you have looked into buying coral calcium you will have found that there can be
some big variations in price. This is where you need to exercise some good
common sense judgment. Quality coral calcium is not cheap, but then it should
not be as expensive as some of the products on the market. In my opinion the
above sea coral is definitely best, providing it has been ozone treated.
Avoid the really cheap products as some of these coral calcium's may be of
questionable purity. For your information one of our subscribers referred me to a
website called coral calcium watch-dog.com. The URL is
http://www.coralcalcium-watchdog.com/compare.htm it's worth looking at if you
are contemplating buying coral calcium.
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