Coral Calcium Facts and Fiction
There is a confusing array of Coral Calcium Products on the market with widely ranging prices. Naturally every company tries to position their brand as the premium form of Coral Calcium.
Claims include "most absorbable Coral Calcium on the market", "clinical grade Coral Calcium ", "Fossilized Coral Calcium ","Sango Coral Calcium ", "Ionized Coral Calcium ", "Robert Barefoot's formula" and so on. Some argue over who was first to bring it to America and who has the "exclusive rights". Others suggest Coral Calcium is a "scam" on the one hand, and the "fountain of youth" on the other. What is the truth?
Coral is neither a fountain of youth, nor a scam. Coral Calcium is an excellent source of calcium and minerals which are in an exceptionally bio-available form. When people lacking calcium and trace minerals finally absorb them, some exciting benefits may occur creating this fountain of youth idea. No clinical trials of any significance have been done, so there is no medical evidence one way or the other. Lab assays show the mineral content is real, hundreds of doctors (at this stage mostly Chiropractors and Naturopathic Doctors with only a small handful of MD's) now recommend the product, personal testimonials attesting to benefits number in the thousands. We categorize coral as a very good health supplement - nothing more and nothing less. One should take it with the expectation it will support your body like any other excellent health supplement.
Mr. Barefoot, often confused as a Doctor, is not an MD or other type of medical practitioner. He is a chemist who has specialized in the study of calcium, an author and a dynamic lecturer. Like other excellent promoters, Mr. Barefoot has been known to oversimplify certain issues and overstate certain benefits of the type of coral calcium he gets paid to promote. We think his overstatements may ultimately bring criticism to an excellent health supplement. It should be noted that there are other less-visible experts on coral calcium that offer balancing perspectives.
Most agree that coral works very well, but how is really up for debate. The method of action for Coral Calcium is unknown. Some say it is by regulating body pH, others claim a homeopathic action, some espouse a cell salt theory. We favor the view that the synergy between the minerals found in coral calcium, plus the fact that they have been pre-digested by the coral polyps and hence in an organic form that is easy to assimilate has more to do with how it works than anything.
Almost all coral calcium products on the North American market are from the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa. A recent entrant from Brazil is harvested live and hence has higher mineralization, more marine nutrients, and likely to become a strong contender once word gets out. Read more about this new category, click here
What about Sango Coral Calcium - some say Sango is the best. Actually Sango Coral Calcium is simply a local Okinawan reference to Coral in general - so all Okinawan Coral Calcium is Sango Coral Calcium.
All Okinawan Coral Calcium is ionized too - that just means it takes on a charge (a positive one to be specific) so don't be fooled by companies claiming to have a superior product because it is "Ionized" Coral Calcium. The important thing is that this ionization makes it far more useable for humans compared to regular calcium supplements.
Some coral calcium claim to have "clinical grade" but no explanation is offered as to how this is different from any other. Coral is a whole food source of calcium and minerals and there is no standard grading system including "clinical grade". Something that does matter more is particle size. It comes in a range of sizes from 2 microns (like flour) up to 44 microns. The smaller, the better for absorption.
The Coral Calcium formulas on the market are very simple formulations based on Dr Carl Reich's work from 1950 through 1992 where he combined Calcium and Vitamin D to work miracles in patients. A physician's involvement is arguably overkill. Choose your coral product by the criteria listed on our "Coral Calcium Product Comparison" page.
Several Coral Calcium companies, each with a different formula, either have Bob Barefoot's name on their formula or advertise that they represent him in one way or another. Robert Barefoot has licensed his name to a company which has developed several brands and markets through several distributors. Confusing matters further, Mr. Barefoot has represented most of the Coral Calcium companies at one time or another as his mission is to help America heal itself and he tends to hop from company to company. If you see his name on a bottle of coral, one thing is certain - Bob Barefoot is not producing it as he has parted company with the licensor of his name. Not that it really matters - plain ground up coral calcium in powder form works very well on it's own. Any formula containing some Vitamin D and maybe a few other goodies is a bonus with or without Barefoot's name on it. Again, choose your product using criteria other than who's name is on it or who formulated it.
If any company owned the exclusive rights to Coral calcium there would not be so many competing companies creating such confusion now would there? Coral Calcium was first introduced to America about 9 years ago through a Multi-level Marketing company selling it in tea bag form. Later the coral calcium capsules became more popular as the entire mineral content could be swallowed. Over time about 7 or 8 other MLM companies started marketing Coral Calcium products and several regular distribution companies have recently joined in.
There are several schools of thought on how much Magnesium should be in calcium supplements. An article in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) indicated there should be absolutely no magnesium in calcium supplements. Other experts claim a 2:1 ratio of Calcium to Magnesium is ideal. The Okinawan race, noted for their longevity due to the minerals they ingest from the giant fossilized mineral reef they live on do not add magnesium at all. What we know for sure is the medical community is undecided - and that all pure coral products works extremely well with or without a 2:1 ratio.
Although super qualities have been attributed to these microbes, we do not believe they exist in commercially available coral, if at all. Marine coral is heat treated and Fossilized coral is ozonated. Both processes will kill any living microbe. Coral calcium works, but not because of microbes.
Be an educated consumer when you purchase coral calcium by reading our coral calcium comparison chart
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