Are there 200 human diseases? We don't know; perhaps a doctor can tell. But proponents of coral calcium as human dietary supplements claim that the gifted mineral from Okinawa lagoons near Japan cures more than 200 diseases. They don't hesitate to include miraculous cures for blinds, AIDS patients, cancers, MS; oh-what-not, to the list of diseases that will be supposedly cured in just 10 minutes.



Take a few more curative and preventive goodies of coral calcium. Coral calcium consumers don't need hysterectomy, keep away rectal cancer; it cures migraine and so on. But is it for real? Has the world finally found an antidote to death threat? Well, hold a minute.

First, let us understand what is this coral calcium and what benefit it really brings us. Coral calcium is a type of calcium extracted from coral mined in Okinawa Island near Japan. The coral of Okinawa is said to be rich in calcium and magnesium content, which is useful as food supplement. It is also true that calcium is essential for bones and teeth, which can be sourced from anywhere including Okinawa coral reef.

Robert Barefoot and another self proclaimed doctor Carl J. Reich, who lost his license about 20 years ago in California for quackery made some outrageous claims about their magic discoveries and magic products over CFRB, a Canadian news radio. The claim went something like this: Their products, obviously made by coral calcium, had cured AIDS. And to diagnose whether someone had a disease, he used a litmus paper and the saliva of the subject, which showed whether he or she had an underlying condition (read AIDS).

Alzheimer's, MS, rectal cancer, and so many diseases were diagnosed with litmus test and because as they claimed, we were living in an alkaline environment, humans were succumbing to the diseases.

Let see what US FDA has to say on the curative qualities of coral calcium. Let there be no doubt, FDA deals with new discoveries in unambiguous terms. It has referred to claims by many distributors and manufacturers before dealing with them individually. It has exposed the therapeutic claims of coral calcium being curative and preventive in its effect. Under section 201(p) of the Act [21 USC •? 321(p)], most coral calcium sold in the market are violations, as their promotional materials project coral calcium as drug. Further FDA has no established information on safety and efficacy aspect of consuming coral calcium for curative or preventive purposes.

In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has held a marketer, Kevin Trudeau of Coral Calcium Supreme as having misled consumers by false and unsubstantiated claims. By the way, you would do good to remember that Kevin Trudeau was convicted and jailed for credit card and financial fraud sometime ago.

Finally, if Okinawans live longer than most of us, that's a different story, which needs to be studied separately.