Coral Calcium: View of a Promoter

Okinawa’s Coral Calcium has become very popular in the United States. Although there is much false promotion and confusion with this product, some say it is very helpful.

“Coral calcium is much more than just a source of calcium. It is a holistic mineral supplement that is rich in calcium and magnesium, but it contains more than 70 trace minerals that may be of value for general health.”

This would be in the point of view of the seller. Stephen Holt, the author of the article, said that the Coral Calcium is only beneficial if it is truly from Okinawa, Japan and not anywhere else. He says that other calcium supplements can be mislabeled as Coral Calcium, which would not be beneficial to the lives of people. Holt says you need the correct type of coral calcium for it to be helpful in one’s health. Natures Benefit, Inc. was responsible for starting a huge line of coral calcium products. They made a “commitment” to research and develop their product. They even signed a research agreement with the Marine Bio Co. Ltd., in Japan, the producer of the Coral Calcium. Natures Benefit, Inc. says that they will not support false products.

Holt supports the two companies because he says their extensive research shows positive effects of the Coral Calcium. Holt says that they make a premium type of coral calcium. He says that the Marine Bio shows good absorption of their coral calcium in human and animal experiments. Holt says that the Coral Calcium also helps the brain relax. This has been showed by electrical recordings of brain activity in people who have taken their product.

He also says, “New mineral products for the nutritional support of diabetes mellitus have emerged from this research.” It also improves heartburn and bone health.

In conclusion, a supporter of Coral Calcium would say, “[Coral Calcium] is here to stay with its multiple potential health benefits and it is a shame that this category has been hurt by unscrupulous promotion in the past.”

For more information on how a promoter of Coral Calcium feels, go here.

By Jan Michael Bumatay

Too Much Calcium!

Everyone knows that Calcium is good for the body, helping to keep bones strong, blood pressure normal, and many other things. Those who support the intake of Coral Calcium suggest that it is an absolute necessity to take as much calcium as possible on a daily basis, specifically Coral Calcium from the Okinawa Islands. But how much calcium, whether you believe in the use of Coral Calcium or not, is too much?
According to many sources, Calcium can cause constipation when taken in too large of a dose. If that isn't enough of a reason to stop someone from believing in the myths of excessive Coral Calcium intake, than what could possibly be?

Taking too much calcium (three to four times the usual dose) can lead to such side effects as constipation, dry mouth, a continuing headache, increased thirst, irritability, loss of appetite, depression, a metallic taste in the mouth, and fatigue. (See source here.)

Along with all of the nasty side effects, Calcium is not capable of being absorbed into the blood stream without the aid of seperate Vitamin D. Therefore, along with the excessive amount of Calcium consumed by non-skeptics, Vitamin D would also be needed to insure that the Calcium is even being used by the body. Clearly, taking coral calcium or just calcium supplements as a replacement for healthier eating and balanced vitamin intake proves to have more disadvantages than one would think. Not only has excessive Calcium intake, specifically Coral Calcium, had no basis in science as being healthy, but it HAS been proved that there is such a thing as "too much Calcium."

To read more about how much Calcium is too much, click here.

By Emily Bunin

Alkaline: What Your Body Really Needs

There are articles and advertisements everywhere promoting coral calcium supplements. From TV infomercials to websites, all of the predominantly false advertisements claim coral calcium can cure cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. Many advertisers claim that “coral calcium removes chlorine and other harmful elements from water while adding good ones, making your body more alkaline, boosting the immune system and treating everything from fatigue and digestive disorders to cancer”. Drinking water with high alkaline content (or calcium) or “hard water,” does not necessarily enhance the bodies immune system. As a matter of fact, water with high alkaline content is common throughout the western United States, and consequently there has been no proof that “hard water” is helpful in any way. So-called "doctors" also conveniently promote that water with high alkaline and calcium content is the reason why Okinawa residents have the most concentration of centenarians. Dr. Barefoot and other business marketers have used this false advertising, even though there has been no scientific research done to prove their theories. Sound like a money scam? It is generally true that Okinawans live longer than Americans and heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, and prostate cancer are rare in their area, but it has not been shown that this is because of the coral calcium enriched water. It has, however, been shown to be due to their superior diets and active lifestyles.

Traditional Okinawans consume at least seven servings of vegetables and
fruits daily, an equal number of grains, two daily servings of soy products,
green tea every day and fish rich in omega-3s (several times a week). Meat,
poultry and eggs account for only three percent of the Okinawan diet.

Studies actually found that Americans take in more calcium than most Okinawan
citizens. The bottom line is “making your body more alkaline” is
nothing more than a clever marketing scam used by business men to confuse the
consumers.

For more information click, here

By: Roland Feliciano

Does Sugar Feed Cancer?

Dr. Robert Barefoot, advocate of Coral Calcium, has made claims that the main cause for degenerate health conditions in the world today is the common diet. Because of his beliefs, in 1981 Barefoot began "intensive medical research into the relationship between disease and nutrition," working closely with Dr. Carl Reich to develop safer and smarter eating habits, along with supplemental vitamins that would supposedly rid the body of disease risk.
Around the same time that Barefoot and Reich were conducting their research, Dr. Otto Warburg, a now two-time Nobel Prize winner, was experimenting with Alkaline and it's effects on malignant tumors.
Every time Dr. Warburg put a tumor into an alkaline medium, it would die within seconds. According to Dr. Warburg, to kill cancer all you have to do is make your body . . . ALKALINE by taking certain supplements and by following some commonsense health rules.
Because Barefoot and Warburg were experimenting with similar health issues, they began working together. They developed theories about the causes of cancer, and together learned that sugar is one of the main factors in developing cancers of the body.
So how exactly does sugar cause cancer? Simply put, cancer is the rapid, irregular, and uncontrollable reproduction of cells in the body. According to Barefoot and Warburg, Cancer is spurred by fermentation of the cells, and fermentation (think about the process of making wine...) is brought upon by the addition of sugar. The doctors claim that sugar is the main cause for cancer, and should be entirely cut out of the diet. Many alternative nutritionists around the world would agree. Based on their supposed research, it is extremely possible that sugar is a deadly food for human beings.

The body is constantly overworked trying to feed this cancer. The cancer is constantly on the verge starvation and thus constantly asking the body to feed it. When the food supply is cut off, the cancer begins to starve unless it can make the body produce sugar to feed itself.
Now, knowing that one's cancer needs sugar, does it make sense to feed it sugar? Does it make sense to have a high carbohydrate diet?

Why hasn't this been advertised more avidly?

For more questions and answers about sugar, and it's supposed effects on the onset of cancer in the human body, click here.

By Emily Bunin

Truth about Coral Calcium

Life Extension (LE) Magazine had a Question and Answer article about Coral Calcium in May 2003 issue. One of the questions was if Coral Calcium was the best calcium supplement on the market. The LE answered saying that it was heavily promoted in America as the best calcium supplement.

Coral rock consists of calcium carbonate, an inexpensive form of calcium used in products like Tums® and low cost calcium supplements. A meta-analysis of all pertinent published studies showed that calcium citrate is better absorbed than calcium carbonate by approximately 22% to 27%. Calcium bisglycinate has been shown to be better absorbed than calcium citrate [Calcified Tissue International 1990, 46:300-304]. The manufacturer of coral calcium bases the superiority claims on a study showing that when compared to other calcium sources, such as milk or cow bone, coral calcium carbonate absorbed better.

This is not surprising because milk and cow bone are not perfect ways of getting calcium. Calcium should be taken with vitamin D, which not all Coral Calcium contains. Promoters of Coral Calcium say it contains magnesium, but many other calcium products also contain magnesium. The recommended intake for calcium daily is at least 1000 mg. Coral Calcium usually only contains 400 mg of elemental calcium. Many say that the reason Okinawans live long is because of their access to the Coral Calcium because that is where it is from. Many say that this is not the reason, and that it is because of their low calorie diet, their consumption of disease preventing plants, and social ties that keep the elderly people with the family.

Another question the LE was asked was about a good product for brain function. The LE said that they would pick a multi-ingredient formula that provided the best nutrients to improve neurological function. They said that Cognitex was a good product in that in contained over six different brain enhancing nutrients. It contains nutrients that correct cognitive impairment, that maintain brain cell membranes.

By Jan Michael Bumatay

Weight Loss from Coral Calcium

Americans are often criticized for their taste for 'bigger' things. Bigger buildings, bigger boats, bigger houses, bigger cars, etc. The one things Americans have bigger than other countries that is considered to be a "big" problem is their collective waistline. From dieting to exercising to diet pills, people nationwide have been searching for the fastest, easiest, and least expensive way to get the weight off. It isn't hard to believe that Coral Calcium, the so-called remedy for almost anything, has been said to be extremely effective in weight loss.
Some sources suggest that Coral Calcium helps burn fat. Although many of these sources are clearly baseless, they do seem confident in their attempts to trick you and steal your money.

Calcium could be the key nutrient needed to help you lose weight, according to a growing consensus of new research examining the mineral. Calcium not only helps with hypertension, the research shows: it also appears to support healthy physiology in a way that results in the loss of excess body fat. (See source here).

Not only do the promoters of weight loss through the use of the oral supplement suggest that you saturate your body with calcium, they also consistently state that just plain old calcium won't do the trick.

Don't make the common mistake in thinking that calcium = milk. That's just a marketing myth promoted by the dairy industry. Coral calcium supplements are far better for you, and plant-based calcium is better yet.

The most important fact to consider is that no matter where the calcium supplement is coming from, it is still calcium. It's chemical make-up doesn't change, and although it may sound better to call it "coral calcium," calcium is calcium when it comes to health purposes. Obesity remains an epidemic taking over America that will most likely need more than some baseless facts about calcium to put a final stop to.

By Emily Bunin

Coral Calcium: Revealed

In “Coral Calcium – The answer to how do you spell HYPE?” Dr. Michael T. Murray reveals the naked truth behind coral calcium. Dr. Murray is one of the leading proponents of natural products and throughout his studies he has been angered by all the lies and preposterous claims by bogus products, especially coral calcium supplements. What is coral in the first place anyway?

Coral is composed of tiny, fragile living organisms called coral polyps. The
coral polyps take calcium carbonate or limestone from the sea and build
protective structures around themselves. As coral polyps die, new generations of
coral polyps then grow on top of the coral and coral reefs are formed.

Dr. Murray explained this in his article. He also pointed out that though coral reefs only compose 1% of the planet’s surface, coral reefs are home to 25% of the planets living organisms. With this information coral reefs are without a doubt one of the most fragile ecosystems in our planet and strict laws were made to preserve this. If coral reefs are protected by law, then where are the coral calcium harvested? Not trying to frighten the consumers but coral calcium is harvested from locations that are unsupervised by the government. Furthermore, since the source of coral calcium is unsupervised many of the coral calcium supplements were found to have major lead contamination.
Dr. Murray also explored whether or not coral calcium is the superior form of calcium and his findings are similar to my earlier blog “Coral Calcium Supplements A.K.A. Tums”. The calcium content of coral calcium ranges from 24% to 36% composed of calcium carbonate. Marketer’s however call them “aragonite” or “calcite” to confuse the consumers. Now that all the facts are laid out, you decide?

By: Roland Feliciano

Barefoot vs. Barrett

Robert Barefoot, a graduate of Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, authored 7 scientific publications, and 3 books. The books were The Calcium Factor¸ Death By Diet, and If It Glitters. His first two books were best sellers. Barefoot also has the most watched infomercial in history. The FTC said that there were claims by “hundreds of scientific publications” about Coral Calcium reversing diseases, even if Barefoot did not say that the product cured anything. Barefoot believes that the FTC is just doing its job.

Calcium is an essential nutrient to many systems inside the body. Many scientists around the world are studying the use of calcium in our body. The US National Library of Medicine’s PubMed System said that there were more than 17,000 scientific articles relating calcium to cancer. Barefoot had a problem with an article written in the “Edmonton Sun” about a “Cancer Scam.” He said many of the statements in the article were false, meaning the public got the wrong idea of his product.

Dr. Barrett, a Psychiatrist with no medical license, and Robert Baratz, an owner of a hair removal and ear piercing salon, teamed up against Barefoot. Jeremy Loome, the writer of the article against Barefoot allowed Barrett to give information in the article. Barrett told the readers that “there are people who are going to die as a result of what they have been doing" which is taking coral calcium. Barefoot asked Loome why he did not tell readers that Barrett said this, Loome said that the article was against him and not Barrett. Barrett promotes the selling of calcium carbonate, which he says is the same as coral calcium. Both men are wrong in that there is a huge difference between the two calcium products.

Both men think they are right, and now are against each other in that they say the other is misleading. In my opinion, both need to get their scientific evidence set before they can say that their product is better than the other’s product, although the article is against Barefoot.

Dr. Barrett, who is not a chemist, advises the people of Edmonton to buy calcium carbonate which he declares is the same as coral calcium.

Barrett, who has declared war on Bob Barefoot, represents "Quack Watchers" which is appropriate as they are all "Quacks", only capable of watching and not participating, who are interfering with legitimate medical research.

For more information on Barefoot against Barrett, go here.

By: Jan Michael Bumatay