Comments on: Calcium Snake Oil Salesman??

By: jacobs100

jacobs100 — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 19:25:41 +0000

In a message dated 2/4/2003 2:29:32 AM Eastern Standard Time,
jwarner2@… writes:
<< I did a Google search on Bob Barefoot, and came across a site that claims
he once touted the fossilized form of c.c. He is now pushing the marine
form. The marine form comes from the bottom of the sea and has all sorts
of heavy metals and other gook with it.
Probably, the real reason they went to a marine form is because it is easier
to harvest. Fossilized/ marine it’s all calcium. Calcium is a basic element
so you can burn it, freeze it, boil it–if it’s calcium it’s still calcium
(is that profound or what?). Supposedly, the people who provide my minerals
use fossils. Whatever works. Like your friend, I too am a believer in
minerals and can detect the difference in quality and the difference in my
health if I don’t take it. Like this diet, it is one of the things I’ve
found that have improved my quality of life.
Max

By: lee90

lee90 — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 05:53:29 +0000

In a message dated 2/3/2003 6:04:34 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Maddviking@… writes:
Hi Max,
I have read an argument similar to this somewhere else. It wasn’t so much
what was causing the problem but it did speak of the concept that cholesterol
was a plugging agent used because of damage to the arteries. It seems to me
that the article claimed that Linus Pauling had suggested that high doses of
Vit. C could repair the damaged area in the artery and decrease the need for
the plugging agent, thus decreasing blood cholesterol.
Regards,
Sharon (Ontario) Canada

By: jacobs100

jacobs100 — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 02:57:27 +0000

Lot of interesting information. Barefoot’s main point is that the coral
calcium has other trace minerals in it essential to good health. For
instance, we know that selenium supposedly keeps arteries flexible, potassium
helps the heart beat stronger, and on and on. Just like Atkins, he is
cashing in on what he knows. Somehow I don’t see a hunter gatherer needing
Dr. Atkins $30 bottle of bad tasting chocolate goo or his horse pills. I
take a good brand of colloidal minerals from a company who also claims
they’re the only one. I do know that the minerals work for me.
What I found interesting was the alkaline vs acidosis argument. If the
acidosis is burning holes in arteries causing the formation of cholesterol as
a plugging agent, that is new information to me but it makes sense. If
there’s any proof to that then cholesterol medicine might be lethal since it
removes the “patch”. The rationale also explains why type O people with high
cholesterol who go on the BTD lower their cholesterol.
I’m not going to buy his coral calcium but I may buy his argument.

Max

By: lee90

lee90 — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:39:22 +0000

In a message dated 2/3/2003 2:23:23 PM Eastern Standard Time,
salbud@… writes:
Hi Sarah,
I have included the two posts that I received from another e-mail letter I
received just for your information.
Don’t know if it is true but sounds logical to me.
Regards,
Sharon (Ontario) Canada
CORAL CALCIUM - MIRACLE OR MUMBO-JUMBO?
I have received many enquiries about my opinion of the very highly
promoted Coral Calcium. We do get American TV here in The Dominican
Republic. I have seen, and ignored, a well done commercial wherein a
Doc. suggests that his Coral Calcium will cure anything . . . even
cancer!!! Raiza and I decided to watch the whole thing. Several
call-in shills supported the amazing claims.

That Doc. is a good salesman. Raiza was ready to spring for 20
bucks. I called their 800 number to enquire about the number of
capsules and potency. The operator replied, “90 capsules but I have
no idea how many milligrams/capsule.” I wondered why they sell in
dry form as the data is clear that liquefied calcium is 300-400% more
absorbable that granulated. Probably because the liquefied costs a
bit more to produce.
I decided to search the medical literature. I couldn’t find even one
reliable clinical study of Coral Calcium but I did find many which
supported increased calcium intake benefits many catastrophic
diseases . . . yes, even cancer.
Calcium is an essential mineral for nerve transmission, muscle
contraction, vascular contraction, vasodilation, glandular secretion,
cell membrane and capillary permeability, enzyme reactions,
respiration, renal function, blood coagulation, hormone release and
storage, the production of energy and the maintenance of immune
functions.
Calcium carbonate has been shown to be as or more absorbable (39%) as
five other forms of calcium, including calcium acetate (32%), calcium
lactate (32%), milk (31%), calcium citrate (30%), and calcium
gluconate (27%).
These figures were taken from a study reported in the New England
Journal of Medicine, Vol. 317, No. 9, August 27, 1987.
Considering that very high quality calcium is dirt cheap, there is no
reason one should not take some daily.
American Journal of Epidemiology 1999 Jan 15;149(2):151-61
Bostick RM, Kushi LH, Wu Y, Meyer KA, Sellers TA, Folsom AR.
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine,
University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
The study was to investigate whether greater intakes of calcium,
vitamin D, or milk products may protect against ischemic heart
disease mortality, the authors analyzed data from a prospective
cohort study of 34,486 postmenopausal Iowa women 55-69 years old and
without a history of ischemic heart disease who completed a dietary
questionnaire in 1986.
Relation of calcium, vitamin D, and dairy food intake to ischemic
heart disease mortality among postmenopausal women.
These results suggest that a higher intake of calcium, but not of
vitamin D or milk products, is associated with reduced ischemic heart
disease mortality in postmenopausal women, and reduced risk may be
achievable whether the higher intake of calcium is attained by diet,
supplements, or both.