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CORAL
CALCIUM: A MARINE MIRACLE
Article by herbalist Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
Most of you
have probably heard at least a little bit about coral
calcium. Whether you have seen the
infomercials on television or have seen an advertisement in
your favorite health publication, you may be wondering if
it is really the cure-all it is cracked up to be.
Since many of you have called me with questions,
I’ll try to shed some light on this “marine miracle”.
By all
accounts, this dietary supplement is suffering from its own
name. The name coral calcium has caused
consumers to inappropriately focus on calcium alone when
they consider its nutritional value.
Coral calcium actually contains a number of fossilized
stony coral minerals, up to 70 or so, in variable amounts.
Generally, the main elements found in fossilized
coral are calcium and magnesium. With that said, however,
sales are certainly not suffering much.
In 2002, coral calcium was the best-selling dietary
supplement of the year, with sales in excess of $150
million.
Just what
exactly is coral calcium? The precursor material is ocean
sediment that is largely made up of debris that falls from
coral reefs near the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
Some is derived from coral sand collected below sea
level and some is sourced from above ground (mined).
Different types vary by collection technique,
processing, mineral content, and ultimate formulations of
dietary supplements (capsules, gels, powders, tea bags).
Most of the media buzz surrounds coral calcium that
has the desired calcium to magnesium ratio of 2:1, which is
optimum for absorption and is created by mixing coral sands
of varying magnesium content.
Now that we
know the “what”, let’s examine the “why”.
The longevity benefits of coral calcium have emerged
from a combination of folklore and science.
A sort of “fountain of youth” mystique surrounds the
supplement, which originates in
Okinawa, Japan.
It is thought that the documented longevity of
Okinawans may be related in
part to the mineral-enriched environment of their coral
islands. This idea may hold some water
based on other long-living cultures in mineral-rich spots
throughout the world like the Hunzas
in India
and the native Indians of Guatemala.
There has also been promising research on this theory by
Dr. N. Tominaga of the
Department of Medical Zoology of Saitama Medical School.
In his test group of 22 rats, those who received
water treated with coral calcium had, on the average, much
longer life spans than rats that received untreated water.
While claims of
increased longevity are a long way from being proved or
disproved, some proposals have been downright preposterous.
Coral calcium WILL NOT help you to “grow a new
brain”, “throw away your wheelchair”, or “cure cancer”.
The good news, though, is that coral calcium IS a
valuable holistic mineral dietary supplement with emerging
promise for wellness promotion. It is
ABSOLUTELY TRUE that absorption rates from coral calcium
are higher than from milk,
hydroxyapatite and inorganic calcium carbonate.
There is also promising research regarding the use
of coral calcium in the treatment of osteoporosis, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, heartburn, and even
diabetes mellitus.
So, does coral
calcium live up to the hype? With much
of the research still in relatively early stages, one must
rely heavily on the fact that the re-order percentage for
coral calcium is staggeringly high.
According to Stephen Holt, MD, “Testimonials of the
benefits of coral calcium are not “proof” of a consistent
beneficial health effect. However, the
volume of testimonials cannot be ignored.
The continuing use of coral calcium by so many
people as a consequence of the benefits experienced is the
important issue.”
Coral calcium
is definitely a great way to get some of the minerals
lacking in most Western diets. The
recommended adult dosage is usually somewhere between one
and two grams daily. Natures Benefit
from Coral Calcium, by Stephen Holt, M.D., is a great
source of information on coral calcium and was used as a
reference for this article.
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