Coral calcium

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Coral Calcium is a salt of calcium derived from fossilized coral reefs. Because living coral reefs are endangered and cannot be harvested without significant damage to the ecosystem, coral calcium is harvested by grinding up above-ground limestone deposits that were once part of a coral reef.

[edit] Chemistry

Coral calcium itself is composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) with small amounts of magnesium and other trace minerals. Chemically, calcium carbonate from coral is no different from calcium carbonate from other sources, despite the claims of some companies selling this product. The only possible difference between coral calcium carbonate and other calcium carbonate would be its radio-carbon fraction. There is evidence that in some cases, molecules that contain radioactive atoms can deviate in chemical behavior from those that do not.

Much attention has been given to calcium carbonate's ability to change the pH (or alkalinity) of water-based solutions to which it is added. With respect to pH and alkalinity, the calcium component is less important than the carbonate component, which is chemically similar to the bicarbonate in baking soda. When dissolved in solution, calcium carbonate dissociates into calcium cations (positive ions) and carbonate anions (negative ions). Once in solution, carbonate ions will increase the pH (and alkalinity) of solutions to which they are added. pH can be tested using a litmus test.

[edit] Dubious health claims

There have been many unsubstantiated claims made regarding coral calcium, perhaps the most controversial of which is that taking coral calcium can cure cancer by increasing "body pH." Scientific studies have been performed indicating that cancer cells cannot survive at sufficiently high pH levels. What the marketers of coral calcium usually fail to mention is that these studies were conducted in-vitro and not on living tissue. The reason for this is that the pH level required to kill cancer cells also kills healthy human cells.

Another problem with the "body alkalinization" idea 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, and if alkalinizing agents such as CaCO₃ are ingested, the body promptly excretes the alkaline components in urine. So, people who attempt to increase the pH of their bodies are really only succeeding in raising the pH of their urine. The same applies if acidic foods are ingested in that the urine becomes more acidic. Additionally, it can be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions (such as kidney failure) to take excess coral calcium.

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. 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-nourished individual would be deficient in any of these minerals.