Coral calcium
Coral calcium has gained much popularity due to its promotion in books, lectures, audiotapes, infomercials, and thousands of web sites. But can it really make a person live longer like Robert R. Barefoot claims? Barefoot is a strong promoter of coral calcium, saying that it can fight off over 200 diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. He uses the people of Okinawa, Japan as an example, claiming they never get sick because they have been adding coral calcium to their food for the past 600 years. However, reliable scientific studies suggest that their good health is a result of very active lifestyles and high fruit, vegetable, and whole grain consumption.
Coral calcium is manufactured from limestone produced by coral reefs and actually supplies no special health properties. It is basically just calcium carbonate with some magnesium and other minerals in small amounts.
Claimed Health Benefits
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Increases the lifespan
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Promotes a healthier life
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Absorption of coral calcium is 100%, compared with only 1% for the calcium-containing antacids
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Revitalizes cells to promote health
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Fights off over 200 diseases
Food Sources
None, although the best source of calcium in general is from foods such as dairy products and green leafy vegetables
Dose
Robert Barefoot recommends testing your saliva pH in order to find out the correct number of coral calcium capsules to take. He says that normal, healthy individuals with a normal salivary pH should consume about 3 capsules per day. Whereas individuals who are sick with an abnormal salivary pH should take about 6 – 9 capsules.
However, nutrition experts say these doses far exceed the calcium recommendation of no more than 2,400 mg per day. People taking any type of calcium supplement should only be taking 400 to 500 mg at a time because the body can only absorb so much at once.
Evidence for Health Benefits
In June of 2003, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged the promoters of coral calcium with making false reports, stating that the claims “go far beyond existing scientific evidence regarding the recognized health benefits of coral calcium” (1).
Robert Barefoot states that in his book, The Calcium Factor, there are hundreds of cited scientific journal articles that back up his arguments in favor of coral calcium. However, most of these citations are from magazine articles and unreliable books, not scientific journals.
The bottom line: There have been no reliable studies conducted on coral calcium, so there is no clear cut evidence that it has any nutritional benefit. In addition, the dangers of taking coral calcium outweigh the benefits.
Cautions
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Laboratory analyses preformed on coral calcium have shown that this supplement contains significant amounts of heavy metals, including lead. Too many heavy metals circulating in the body can lead to toxicity and death.
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Another concern is that coral calcium could cause severe allergic reactions, such as shortness of breath, hives, and swelling, in individuals who are allergic to shellfish. This is due to the fact that shellfish tend to dwell among coral reefs for shelter.
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If you search for coral calcium on the internet, you will end up with thousands of hits. All of these coral calcium retailers refer to Barefoot as “Dr. Robert Barefoot" or “Robert Barefoot, Ph.D.” But do not let this mislead you, Barefoot does not possess these credentials. He does not even have a four-year degree from a university. Instead, he has a diploma after three years of coursework experience from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Chemistry.
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It is important to note that for individuals who need to take a calcium supplement, it is much safer and much less expensive to take a purified calcium carbonate supplement.
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Another important note is that coral calcium is not 100% absorbable. Experts say that calcium carbonate products are 30-35% absorbable in the body.
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Coral calcium manufacturing has become so popular that it is destroying ocean reefs. This is of major concern because coral reefs take thousands of years to grow and are the home to many fish, lobsters, and other ocean creatures. Plus, coral reefs act as a protective barrier to coasts and islands and add beauty to the ocean.
References
1. Federal Trade Commission Press Release. FTC and FDA Take New Actions in Fight Against Deceptive Marketing. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/trudeau.htm. Accessed October 21, 2003.
2. Barrett S. Be Wary of Coral Calcium and Robert Barefoot. Quackwatch Web site. http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/coral.html. Accessed October 21, 2003.
3. Product Review: Calcium ConsumerLab, LLC. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/calcium.asp. Accessed October 21, 2003.
4. Marcason, W. What is the lowdown on coral calcium? J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:1319.