Re: Nothing magical about coral calcium

August 19, 2004

The only thing I have sen coral calcium used effectively for the

human bodiy is in surgery. It can be used for non-union bone

fractures as a filler to allow the persons own bone to grow with it.

> WHAT'S IN THE BOTTLE?

>

> Nothing magical about coral calcium

>

> UC BERKELEY WELLNESS LETTER

>

> August 17, 2004

>

> Debunking the wild claims made for supplements is an ongoing

battle. The

> latest cure-all is coral calcium, promoted widely in health- food

stores and

> on the Internet. It's probably the most expensive calcium pill in

history.

>

> Its manufacturers say that coral calcium not only is the best kind

of

> calcium but also relieves pain and treats some 200 diseases,

including

> Alzheimer's, diabetes and lupus. Some infomercials and Web sites

even boldly

> announce that coral calcium treats or cures cancer.

>

> Moreover, they claim that people on the Japanese island of Okinawa

have long

> and healthy lives because their drinking water contains large

amounts of

> coral calcium, which makes the water alkaline and balances the

body's

> acidity.

>

> Thus, you're supposed to take more coral calcium if your body is

especially

> acidic. However, if your body were as acidic as some of the labels

suggest,

> you wouldn't survive long enough to swallow the supplement.

>

> Coral and the shells of sea creatures are made of calcium

carbonate, the

> most common and usually cheapest form of calcium supplement (used

in Tums,

> for instance). Coral calcium also supplies other minerals such as

magnesium,

> mostly in small amounts, which you can easily get from foods or a

basic

> multivitamin/mineral pill.

>

> There has been little or no good research on coral as a source of

calcium or

> as a treatment for disease. But that doesn't stop the marketers

from making

> their claims, since dietary supplements are virtually unregulated.

You have

> no idea what's really in the bottle or if the stuff is safe.

>

> Historically, calcium supplements haven't always beensafe: Years

ago calcium

> carbonate from bone meal or oyster shells, for instance, was used

in some

> sup- plements - but was later found to contain high levels of lead.

>

> Since then the government and manufacturers took action to reduce

lead

> levels in existing calcium supplements. But new supplements can go

untested.

>

> There are, however, plenty of reliable calcium pills. Generic

calcium

> carbonate pills can cost as little as 5cents a day, compared to as

much as a

> dollar a day for coral calcium. There's no reason to think coral

calcium is

> anything magical, let alone better than other calcium sources, or

worth the

> extra expense.

>

> Last year the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug

Administration

> started cracking down on marketers of coral calcium, saying that

they are

> making false and unsubstantiated claims about the product's health

benefits.

>

> Words to the wise: Yes, Okinawans tend to live long healthy lives

and even

> inspired a bestselling book.

>

> Here's their secret: a diet based on fruits, vegetables and grains

(with an

> em- phasis on whole grains), plus fish, small amounts of meat and

poultry,

> moderate al- cohol intake (if any), no smoking, and lots of hard

work and

> exercise - not coral calcium.

>

> The researchers who did the Okinawa Centarian Study have issued a

position

> paper about coral calcium that dismisses the claims.

>

> Coral calcium

>

> Claims, benefits: Not only the best source of calcium for your

bones, but

> also cure or treatment for everything from cancer and Alzheimer's

to

> diabetes and lupus.

>

> Bottom line: There is no evidence that coral calcium cures or

treats any

> disease or that it is better than a basic, inexpensive calcium

carbonate

> pill.

August 19, 2004