Calcium Snake Oil Salesman??

In a message dated 2/3/2003 11:37:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
Maddviking@… writes:
Hi Max,
I am on another list and the person who started it is a man named Dr. Jon. I
am sure that others on this list know about him. Anyway, he says that anyone
who says that coral calcium is better than any other calcium is a snake oil
salesman. Don’t know about ordinary calcium and cancer.
Regards,
Sharon (Ontario) Canada

4 Responses to “Calcium Snake Oil Salesman??”

  1. lee90 Says:

    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.

  2. jacobs100 Says:

    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

  3. lee90 Says:

    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

  4. jacobs100 Says:

    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

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