Truly Affordable

Calcium is an essential mineral and is required for human life.
However talk about the benefits of coral calcium can be
confusing and may make it difficult to put into context how we
can benefit from appropriate levels of calcium in the diet, be
it from food or from supplemental sources.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, and has
several important functions. More than 99% of total body calcium
is stored in the bones and teeth providing the necessary support
to their structure. As a normal function of biology, the living
cells of the body absorb new calcium to replace lost calcium or
to build upon existing structure as in the case of childhood
growth or in healing.

Coral calcium is a salt derived from fossilized coral reefs. The
living coral reefs are endangered and most major reefs are
protected by law as they cannot be harvested without severe
damage to the ecosystem. Coral calcium is harvested by grinding
up above-ground limestone deposits that were once part of a
coral reef.

Coral calcium itself is composed primarily of calcium carbonate
with small amounts of magnesium and other trace minerals.
Chemically, calcium carbonate from coral sources is no different
than from other sources of calcium, despite the claims otherwise
by some companies. However, the addition of trace minerals,
which may be deficient ones diet, could explain why some claim
benefits of coral calcium over more refined sources of calcium
supplements.

While the calcium component of coral calcium is identical to any
other limestone deposit, fossilized coral reefs may contain
trace minerals helpful to the human body. Though it’s unlikely
that a well-fed individual would be deficient in any of these
minerals, clear dietary data shows that while the average
American diet may be providing abundant levels of calories,
salt, fat and preservatives, it is otherwise low in nutrition.
Therefore, many people may benefit from a basic level of
supplementation of all essential and necessary nutrients,
including calcium.

There have been many unsubstantiated claims made regarding coral
calcium, perhaps the most controversial of which is the
suggestion that coral calcium cures cancer by increasing pH of
the body. Scientific studies have been performed indicating that
cancer cells cannot survive at sufficiently high pH levels.
However, while this may be true when tested in a Petri Dish, the
pH required to kill cancer cells also kills healthy human cells.

Another problem with the “body alkalinization” concept is that
the body pH doesn’t change, regardless of how much calcium
carbonate is ingested. The human body can only function properly
within a narrow pH range. It has been shown that if alkalinizing
agents are ingested, the body promptly excretes the alkaline
components in urine. Attempting to increase the pH of bodies
only appears to succeed in raising the pH of the urine. The same
applies if acidic foods are ingested in that the urine becomes
more acidic.

Calcium itself is an essential mineral for human life, and coral
calcium is an effective source of it, though by no means the
only one. When researching any supplement, keep in mind that
supplements are intended to improve nutrition. They are not
designed to treat, cure or mitigate any disease. However, high
quality supplements are an excellent way to supplement, but not
substitute, the benefits of a good diet.

John Briley, a long time proponet of exercise to improve health,
and well known writer for the Washington Post, recaps the
results of a recent study that indicates that exercise helps
alleviate back pain as well psychological stress. The article
quotes William O. Roberts, an associate professor at the
University of Minnesota Medical School and a past president of
the American College of Sports Medicine, thusly: “Get people
moving and it helps [address] their back pain,” The study –
involving 681 men and women, aged 34 to 69, who sought treatment
for low-back pain — was published in the October issue of the
peer-reviewed American Journal of Public Health. All data were
self-reported, including pain (on a zero-to-10 scale, with 10
representing unbearable pain), psychological distress, frequency
and amount of physical activity, and frequency of low-back
exercises. The average pain score was seven; 77 percent of the
group said they had at least one day of restricted activity in
the prior month due to back pain, and about 47 percent reported
having had back pain for more than a year. Participants filled
out questionnaires six weeks after enrolling in the study and
again at six, 12 and 18 months. Researchers converted exercise
data for each participant into metabolic equivalent task (MET)
values. Those who exerted at least 10.5 METs per week — about
the equivalent of three hours of brisk walking or similar
activity — showed the greatest reductions in back pain and
psychological distress. But back exercises increased the odds of
subsequent low back pain and disability by 64 percent and 44
percent, respectively. And among the participants who did
lower-back exercises, those who did them the least — less often
than one day per week — reported the lowest pain levels.
Maddeningly, researchers did not collect data on which back
exercises each person performed, nor did they determine why the
exercises might worsen back pain. These failings reduce the
value of the findings. Poor form and the wrong exercises may
explain the negative results, they said. The findings are not
surprising, says William O. Roberts, an associate professor at
the University of Minnesota Medical School and a past president
of the American College of Sports Medicine. Roberts also
promotes core conditioning to address back pain. It’s generally
felt that a strong core and strong abs can go a long way towards
reducing many kinds of lower back pain.