Taking coral calcium is a natural way to help ensure you are getting the right amount of calcium your body requires. The average adult needs at least 1,000 mg. each day, and most people are not getting this amount from diet alone. They risk a decrease in bone density that leads to osteoporosis and fractures, especially in post-menopausal women. Harvested from the sea near the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, coral calcium is an organic substance unlike the typical calcium supplement that is either inorganic or made in a laboratory.

Known for its ability to maintain the proper pH level in the blood, coral calcium can be very beneficial in preventing disease and building strong bones. If the blood pH level falls out of a certain range the human body cannot survive, and it is believed coral calcium is very effective in maintaining the correct level. It works by restoring the body's alkalinity and building up your immune system to ward off disease.

Many brands of coral calcium also contain Vitamin D and other trace minerals such as magnesium that are essential in order for the body to absorb the maximum amount of calcium. Deficiencies of Vitamin D can increase your risk of osteoporosis and magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzyme reactions in the body. Most coral calcium supplements also contain over 70 other types of trace minerals, and it is believed calcium needs to work with at least eight of these minerals in order to be absorbed effectively. It is much easier to take coral calcium that already contains these trace minerals than to try to get them separately from diet or other supplements. And you never need to worry that you are taking too much coral calcium—whatever your body doesn't need it excretes.

Coral reefs grow both above and below the ocean. Small coral polyps eat plankton, which is naturally rich in minerals, and then produce coral reef calcium. Coral reefs are then built up through a slow process that takes thousands of years. If it is harvested from above the ocean it is called above sea or fossilized coral calcium, and if it is from the ocean floor it is known as below sea or marine coral calcium. Many believe the above sea coral calcium is superior because it is not mixed with sand and other debris and is not as exposed to ocean pollutants such as lead, mercury and arsenic. The below sea coral calcium is heated to over 1,000 degrees to remove all toxins, but that process also destroys the trace elements and minerals so beneficial to the body.

Recently a company in Brazil has started harvesting coral calcium live and therefore it has a higher mineralization and more marine nutrients. No significant clinical trials have been done to prove the effectiveness of coral calcium, but lab tests show the mineral content is real and that it is a good source of calcium in an organic form that is easy for the body to absorb.

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This article was written for Coral Calcium Watchdog