Coral Calcium

Falsely touted in TV infomercials as a miracle cure for so many diseases, coral calcium is nonetheless an important mineral with many documented benefits. Its origin is traced to Okinawa, Japan, where it is harvested from the corals of the seas there. The Okinawa coral calcium comes from coral in the Japanese seas, which feed on plankton, resulting in high calcium levels. When the coral dies, it either descends to the ocean floor or is washed up on the floor. Of the two forms of the coral, the above sea is preferred for the purposes of making the coral calcium supplement. The reason for this is that the coral that sits on the ocean floor is contaminated with pollutants from the ocean, and therefore must be heated at very high temperatures to purge it of all contaminants. Additionally, the process of dredging up this coral involves a vacuum process that inadvertently kills other sea creatures in the process.

The above sea coral calcium, on the other hand, suffers from no contamination problem. As a matter of fact, the corals washed ashore millions of years ago during a time when the ocean waters were pure, and have since become whole islands of coral. The process of treating the above sea coral merely involves exposing it to ozone to purge it of any residual bacteria.

As stated, the Okinawa coral calcium has many medical benefits, but none of the exaggerated claims of miracle cures can be substantiated. The basis for the original claims came from studies that discovered a high number of centenarians (people living into the age of 100 and beyond) live in that part of the world. Researchers incorrectly inferred that the longevity of these people was a direct result of their consumption of coral calcium. In fact, other factors were ignored which could explain their old age, such as the fact that people in this part of the world eat less red meat in their diet, eat more vegetables, stay physically active even into their elder years and enjoy a strong social network.

Coral calcium does in fact possess medical benefits, but a coral calcium supplement alone is not a magic bullet to long life. It has to be part of an overall lifestyle of proper health decisions. As for the supplement’s documented benefits, these include promoting proper cardiovascular health (through higher concentrations of good cholesterol), accelerating healing from wounds, aiding in the transport of nutrients in the bloodstream, controlling blood pressure and strengthening teeth and bones.

In other words, these are the same benefits that largely exist in ‘regular’ calcium, but in Okinawa coral calcium it appeared these benefits were more potent. The reason for this seems to be that this particular form of the mineral is more absorbable. Additionally, the mineral also contains a blend of other minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which increase its effectiveness. In choosing your supplement, look for the “above sea” variety for its purity and increased calcium concentration levels.

© 2008 Copyright GiantDrug.com All Rights Reserved