A Few Scientific Quotations on Coral Calcium

"Coral Calcium exhibited an inhibitory effect on the growth of cancer cells", Yuji Hirota, Ph.D., Takashi Sugisaki, Ph.D., Medical Preventive Group Laboratory, Tokyo, Japan.

"A protective effect of calcium on colorectal cancer, one of the most common malignancies in Western societies, has been supported by results of in vitro animal studies."Maria Elena Martenez and Walter C. Willett, Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, Arizona. And the Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Department of Nutrition, Boston Massachusetts, 10/30/97.

"Adding dietary calcium markedly suppressed the diet induced hyper proliferation of epithelial calls (cancer)."Lexun Xue, Martin Lipkin, Harrold Newark, Jiarmin Wang, Influence of Dietary Calcium on Diet Induced Epithelial Cell Hyperproliferation in Mice, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Strang Cancer Prevention Center, New York, Cell Biology Laboratory Henan Medical University, China.

Claims

Coral calcium has been promoted as a alternative treatment or cure for a number of health conditions, including cancer. There is no medical evidence to support these claims, and coral calcium has been identified by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a "Fake Cancer 'Cure' Consumers Should Avoid".[1] The Federal Trade Commission prosecuted several individuals for making unsupported health claims about coral calcium,[4] and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has issued a consumer advisory regarding false and misleading marketing claims associated with coral calcium supplements.[5]

Chemistry

Coral calcium is composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), with small amounts of magnesium and other trace minerals. Calcium carbonate from coral is similar to calcium carbonate from other sources, with varying amounts of trace minerals.

Much attention has been given to calcium carbonate's ability to change the pH (or alkalinity) of water-based solutions to which it is added. With respect to pH and alkalinity, the calcium component is less important than the carbonate component, which is chemically similar to the bicarbonate in baking soda. Coral calcium is a source of calcium, which is an essentialmineral for human life

Coral Calcium - What is it?

Coral calcium is a salt of calcium derived from fossilized coral reefs. Living coral reefs are endangered and cannot be harvested without significant damage to the ecosystem, and because of this, coral calcium is harvested by grinding up above-ground limestone deposits that were once part of a coral reef. Calcium from coral sources needs to be refined to remove pollutants of the source environment. It is marketed as a dietary supplement, but its benefits over other calcium supplements are unproven and biologically unlikely.^[1] Additionally, coral near Okinawa has absorbed relatively high amounts of lead and mercury, leading to concern that these unregulated supplements may be contaminated.^[2] Further, coral takes millennia to grow, leading to environmental concerns.^[2]