Navigating The Sea:

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Navigating the Sea of Coral Calcium

 

By Susanne Alberto

March 2003

 

It's a common scenario that all natural health retailers face when a new

product catches the attention of the public, particularly when it's

touted as the " latest, greatest miracle cure. " Customers head to their

stores in droves, wanting to know a thousand things at once. And all the

while, retailers might be in the dark just as much as they are.

 

The current frenzy over coral calcium is no different. Since the

supplement first hit the shelves a year ago, many retailers have seen

their inventories go from one major manufacturer to several SKUs

available in 60-, 90-, and 120-count bottles, in addition to powdered

options.

 

Not only has the amount of coral calcium products increased dramatically

in a short period of time, but so has the confusion swirling around what

most people consider to be an excellent health supplement.

 

From a retailer standpoint, it seems this debate focuses on three

issues:

 

What is coral calcium, and which form is best?

 

Does coral calcium have any benefits over " regular " calcium supplements?

 

How do customers choose one brand of coral calcium over the next?

 

WHAT IS CORAL CALCIUM?

 

In order to discuss coral calcium effectively, we must first be familiar

with calcium, since the comparisons are both obvious and inevitable.

Webster's Dictionary describes calcium as " a silver-white bivalent

metallic element of the alkaline-earth group occurring only in

combination. " Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Of

the approximately three pounds of calcium in the average person, 99

percent is located in the teeth and bones. So, the most obvious use for

calcium is for bone and joint health, as well as any related concerns.

 

Calcium supplements are available in several forms:

 

Calcium carbonate - a salt found in limestone, chalk, marble, plant

ashes, bones, and many shells, used mainly as a pigment, pigment

extender, filler, and in dentifrices and pharmaceuticals, especially as

an antacid (considered to be the least absorbable form);

Calcium citrate - a salt or ester of citric acid (has an absorption rate

better than calcium carbonate);

Calcium citrate/malate (CCM) - a salt or ester of malic acid (also has a

better absorption rate than calcium carbonate);

Microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (MCHC) - a complex phosphate of calcium

that occurs as a mineral and is the main structural element of

vertebrate bone (with a poor absorption rate, but still better than

calcium carbonate);

Amino acid chelates - feature a ring structure that usually contains a

metal ion held by coordination bonds (or simply, a binding agent). e -

the smallest atomic size required by the body for digestion.

Coral calcium is a whole-food source of calcium and minerals. According

to Andy Bowers, vice president of Incline Village, Nev.-based Coral

Inc., " Coral is a natural organic complex of every mineral found in the

human body, in similar proportions. " Bowers says that these minerals are

highly absorbable, because they are:

Full spectrum and synergistic, meaning that every mineral needs the

others in order to do its job properly;

Previously digested by an animal (coral polyp), which means that this

organic form makes it more bioavailable to the human body; and

Ionic, meaning that when coral powder is placed in water, more than half

of the minerals go into an ionic stat

Best-selling author Stephen Holt, M.D., founder and president of Newark,

N.J.-based Nature's Benefit Inc., is a leading authority on coral

calcium.

 

According to Dr. Holt, there are two basic types of coral sand from the

Ryuku Islands of Okinawa that are the precursors of coral calcium

supplements: (1) land-based (mined), fossilized, or stony coral mineral

and (2) coral sand collected below sea level, also known as marine

coral. He adds, " While coral calcium is principally composed of calcium

carbonate (24 to 30 percent calcium in marine types and 33 to 40 percent

in land types), it contains varying proportions of magnesium carbonate

(<0.5 to 1.5 percent in land type and <1-18 percent in marine types) and

contains up to 70 or so different trace elements in small amounts (parts

per million). "

 

Holt also reports that, " While most current scientific study has

occurred with the 'naturally' balanced (2:1 calcium to magnesium) form

of coral calcium, insufficient evidence exists to suggest that below-sea

coral has any measurable clinical benefits over land-collected coral. "

 

METHOD OF ACTION

 

According to Bowers, when calcium and the other 74 minerals comprising

coral calcium get into the human body and go to work, two things happen

that are key to this supplement's " phenomenal " success. First, calcium

is the main alkalizing mineral in the body. We are all born in an

alkaline state, and over time, our bodies turn acidic. Disease thrives

in such conditions. Coral calcium helps raise the pH, restoring us to a

more natural, neutral state.

 

Secondly, the trace minerals in coral calcium fulfill deficiencies in

the body. This is vital, as trace minerals have now become depleted from

our soils through unsustainable farming practices. Hence, they are no

longer in our foods. This is compounded by the fact that most doctors do

not have tests to detect deficiencies in many of the more obscure trace

minerals, so most of us are quite deficient and don't even realize it,

which may lead to a plethora of health ailments.

 

According to a recent Winter Alert (issue #5), a newsletter published by

Hauppauge, N.Y.-based Nature's Answer, more than 200 health ailments

have been linked to calcium deficiency. Healthnotes Inc.'s extensive

online database of vitamins, minerals, and supplements specifically

lists calcium supplements as being used reliably in connection with

gestational hypertension, lactose intolerance (for preventing deficiency

if dairy products are avoided only), osteoporosis, preeclampsia,

premenstrual syndrome, and rickets.

 

However, Healthnotes adds the following side effects: " Constipation,

bloating, and gas are sometimes reported with the use of calcium

supplements. In the past, [some] calcium supplements ... have sometimes

had higher lead levels than permitted by stringent California

regulations, though generally less than the levels set by the federal

government. Refined forms - which would include calcium citrate/malate

(CCM), calcium citrate, and most calcium carbonate - have low levels.

Also, people with a history of kidney stones might actually be at risk

of increasing the formation of stones by supplementing with calcium,

because they absorb too much of the mineral. "

 

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

 

Today, the suggested dosage for daily calcium intake is 1,000 mg for

consumers age 19-50 and 1,200 mg for those 51 and over.

 

" Certainly, there is no special recommended dosage of coral calcium as

compared to calcium, " says Ellen J. Kamhi, Ph.D., R.N. - also known as

" The Natural Nurse " and an advisor to Nature's Answer. However, those

with special health considerations may wish to supplement more or less.

" For example, the overall daily consumption of calcium is 1,500 mg for

menopausal women, " she says. " So, the dosage of coral calcium would be

the same as calcium - 500 mg capsules three times a day. " Kamhi adds

that if your diet is high in dairy, which actually leaches calcium from

the bones, then you need to make sure you're supplementing your diet

with enough calcium to reach the RDA.

 

But according to Dr. Holt, " Coral calcium in current recommended dosages

does not supply the RDA of calcium or magnesium, and used alone it is

not therapeutic for most circumstances of calcium deficiency. " In

addition, as with other calcium supplements, he says, " Calcium from

coral calcium is not 100 percent absorbed. "

 

Concurring with this assessment is Takuo Fujita, M.D., founder of the

Calcium Research Institute and past president of the Japan Osteoporosis

Foundation. Dr. Fujita has studied calcium compounds for more than 50

years, and has written more than 400 peer-reviewed scientific papers on

calcium. " Calcium is one of the most beneficial substances for human

health, " says Fujita, an advisor to Allendale, N.J.-based Lane Labs.

" But, in order to reap the benefits, the body must be able to absorb the

calcium ... which is much more difficult than it might seem. The hardest

calcium compound for the human body to break down and absorb is calcium

carbonate ... the very form in coral calcium. "

 

Like any mineral, calcium is poorly absorbed by the body, so it is

recommended that consumers take a multi-vitamin with any calcium

supplement for better bioavailability. The most common recommendation is

the 2:1 calcium to magnesium ratio. Also recommended is daily

supplementation of about 400 IUs of vitamin D, which plays an important

role in maintaining blood levels of calcium.

 

SO, IS CORAL CALCIUM BETTER THAN " REGULAR " CALCIUM?

 

With regards to the vast array of treatment claims currently circulating

about coral calcium - due to its correction of trace mineral

deficiencies and, therefore, a host of ailments - Andy Bowers cautions

that, " A cure for a disease depends upon the cause of the disease. So,

you can't say that coral calcium cures a particular disease in

everybody, [since] the cause of that disease may vary from individual to

individual. "

 

" Currently, there is no research showing that coral calcium is superior

to 'regular' calcium, " says Kamhi. She adds, " People who are probably

experiencing the best results from taking coral calcium are those who

have not used calcium before, or have used a product similar to [a

popular drugstore antacid that is cross-merchandised as a calcium

supplement]. People who were using a relatively absorbable form of

calcium, such as calcium citrate or microcrystalline hydroxyapatite, are

not going to experience anything different with coral calcium. "

 

The Coral Calcium Watch Dog (coralcalcium-watchdog.com), a non-profit

Web site formed by the Calcium Research Society, describes coral calcium

as an " excellent source of calcium and minerals, which are in an

exceptionally bioavailable form - [and] lab assays show that the mineral

content is real. " It summarizes all the reports on the supplement by

concluding, " We categorize coral [calcium] as a very good health

supplement - nothing more, nothing less. One should take it with the

expectation it will support your body like any other excellent health

supplement. " The Web site also deciphers an extensive list of marketing

terms often used in conjunction with coral calcium advertisements, such

as " Physician Formulated, " " Robert Barefoot Formula, " and " Exclusive

Rights. "

 

 

Tracy Taylor, director of communications for the National Nutritional

Foods Association (NNFA), says the trade organization does not have any

current statistics on sales of coral calcium supplements. However, Dr.

Holt claims that marketing data show that last year's coral calcium

supplement retail sales exceeded $150 million. Taylor did say that the

NNFA is in the process of finalizing a report on calcium, which may

contain some important information on coral calcium. She adds that the

NNFA's background reports do not support any particular product, nor do

they claim that any one dietary supplement formulation is safe. As with

any health-related product, consumers are encouraged to discuss the use

of a dietary supplement with a qualified healthcare practitioner.

 

Dr. Holt firmly believes that proper scientific research is needed to

maintain the integrity of the Natural Products Industry. " When marketing

hype transcends science, a category of dietary supplements is damaged,

and [the] industry is left with egg on its face. I ... state that coral

calcium is one of the most exciting supplements that has emerged in the

U.S. market recently, but much more caution is required in its promotion

and, as always in our industry, more research is required. "

 

 

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Susanne Alberto is

freelance writer specializing in the natural products and fitness

industries. She is also the assistant manager of a natural products

retail store.

 

References

1. Barefoot R., Barefoot on Coral Calcium: An Elixir of Life?, Wellness

Publishing.com, Newark, N.J., 2001.

2. Halstead B.W., Fossil Stony Coral Minerals and Their Nutritional

Application, Health Digest Publishing Company, Cannon Beach, Ore., 1999.

3. Holt, S., Nature's Benefit from Coral Calcium, Wellness

Publishing.com, Newark, N.J., 2001.