I quite often get asked about my views on Coral Calcium. This is a calcium supplement that has gained popularity through Robert Barefoot and his marketing campaign that made incredible health claims for this product. Those claims included the curing of cancer, the elimination of pain, the increase of energy, promotion of sleep, and on and on and on. So, what should you believe?

Those of you who are familiar with my writings know that one of my major cautions to my patients is that if someone is selling something: Buyer Beware!! Coral Calcium represents one of the best examples of why I give this advice.

Coral calcium is calcium carbonate. This is the EXACT SAME form of calcium found in TUMS® and the cheapest forms of calcium supplements. The only difference is that Coral Calcium products supposedly contain minerals like magnesium and other trace minerals. The claim is that these minerals and trace minerals are what give Coral Calcium its miraculous properties. Now, some would say that instead of my use of the phrase “The only difference is…” I should use “The important difference is…” Those who promote Coral Calcium claim that these other nutrients found in Coral Calcium are in fact the reason for its healing properties. So, to be fair, I will evaluate the content of these other nutrients for you to analyze whether or not you feel that they are indeed miracle workers.

The amount of magnesium found in coral calcium is minimal. That is why most Coral Calcium supplements add magnesium to their formulas. If you are taking a good multivitamin, you are getting more magnesium than you would from Coral Calcium. The other minerals found in Coral Calcium are called trace minerals. These trace minerals are supplied in many of the foods we eat and also in good multivitamin formulations. Thus, the minute amounts of magnesium and trace minerals found in Coral Calcium add very little to what most people get naturally from their diet. The point is that sellers of Coral Calcium make claims about the minerals found in their product that are COMPLETELY unsupported by any research. In other words, the claims are made up to sell the product.

The bottom line is that Coral Calcium contains calcium carbonate and I have some real concerns with this form of calcium. Read my article on OSTEOPOROSIS to learn about my concerns. My very strong suggestion is to forget about the expensive Calcium Carbonate/Coral Calcium and use better quality calcium supplements like Calcium Citrate or MCHC.