Calcium Citrate, Carbonate, or Coral Calcium from Okinawa? What do you know...?

Question

about each of these, how they work, the differences in them, the absorption rate and possible side effects.

Also, if you have information to cite proving your stance, that would be great!

Wow, great info guys! We do drink only whole raw dairy, and I make yogurt, ice cream, kefir and sour cream from this. I do not lean towards artificial supplementation, and plant based IS what appeals to me. The coral calcium form intrigues me... Keep up the very informative answers, and thank you again!

Additionally our diet is filled with raw collard, kale, cabbage, carrot, beet, tomato, green apple, zucchini, yellow squah, winter squashes, etc. in whole and juice form. At least I know we're on the right track... thanks! I'll keep looking into the coral calcium...

Thanks Looey, I do consume 2 T. each day of raw apple cider vinegar, maybe this would be worth my time to research a little more to include the carbonate. Good point about depleting our coral reefs, even though I know they are harvested from old reefs...

***Anyone know about herbal/whole food based calcium supplements?***

So, basically everybody has their own opinion. ;) I will try all the different forms to find which one I like the best...
Thanks to you all!

Answer 1

Dietary supplements may contain one of several different forms of calcium. One difference between the various calcium compounds is the percentage of elemental calcium present. A greater percentage of elemental calcium means that fewer tablets are needed to achieve the desired calcium intake. For instance, in the calcium carbonate form, calcium accounts for 40% of the compound, while the calcium citrate form provides 24% elemental calcium.

Many medical doctors recommend calcium carbonate because it requires the fewest pills to reach a given level of calcium and it is readily available and inexpensive. For people concerned about cost and only willing to swallow two to three calcium pills per day, calcium carbonate is a sensible choice. Even for these people, however, low-quality calcium carbonate supplements are less than ideal. Depending on how the tablet is manufactured, some calcium carbonate pills have been found to disintegrate and dissolve improperly, which could interfere with absorption.5 The disintegration of calcium carbonate pills can be easily evaluated by putting a tablet in a half cup of vinegar and stirring occasionally. After half an hour, no undissolved chunks of tablet should remain at the bottom.6

Calcium carbonate may not always show optimal absorption, but it clearly has positive effects. For example, calcium carbonate appears to be as well absorbed as the calcium found in milk. In fact, some studies indicate that calcium carbonate is absorbed as well as most other forms besides calcium citrate/malate (CCM). For example, a recent study found absorption of calcium from calcium carbonate to be virtually identical to absorption of calcium from calcium citrate.

For people willing to take more pills to achieve a given amount of calcium (typically 800 to 1,000 mg), calcium carbonate does not appear to be the optimal choice, because other forms have been reported to absorb better (however, they do require more pills per day because each pill contains less calcium). For this reason, some doctors recommend other forms of calcium, particularly CCM. Research shows that CCM is absorbed better than most other forms. CCM may also be more effective in maintaining bone mass, than some other forms of calcium supplements. Because of their similarity in both name and structure, CCM can be confused with calcium citrate, but they are not the same.

CCM is not the only form of calcium that might be absorbed better than carbonate. For example, most, though not all,studies suggest that calcium citrate might have some absorption advantage over calcium carbonate. However, no evidence suggests that calcium citrate is as well absorbed as CCM.

Microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (MCHC), a variation on bonemeal, has attracted attention because of studies reporting increases in bone mass in people with certain conditions and better effects on bone than calcium carbonate. Similar positive studies exist using CCM.However, unlike CCM, MCHC has only occasionally been compared with other forms of calcium. In limited research that does make comparisons, MCHC fared poorly in terms of solubility, absorption, and effect on calcium metabolism.

Remarkably little is known about the relative efficacy of amino acid chelates (pronounced “kee-lates”) of calcium. In the only commonly cited trial, absorption was measured for an amino acid chelate called calcium bisglycinate and compared with absorption from citrate, carbonate, and MCHC. In that trial, the amino acid chelate showed the best absorption and MCHC the worst. Although CCM was studied in that trial, it was taken under different circumstances than the chelate (with meals), so drawing definitive conclusions is not possible.

Recently, coral calcium has been claimed to be a vastly superior form of calcium, even though its calcium content is primarily calcium carbonate. One small, controlled human study reported that coral calcium was better absorbed than ordinary calcium carbonate. However, the method used in this study to measure calcium absorption has been criticized as much less sensitive than other methods . No research has compared coral calcium to calcium citrate or to CCM. There is little evidence at this time that coral calcium is superior to other forms of calcium.

Whatever the form, calcium supplements typically are absorbed better when eaten with meals. Moreover, research indicates that taking calcium with meals may reduce the risk of kidney stones and supplementing with calcium between meals might actually increase the risk.

Besides how to take calcium supplements, scientists have also been studying when to take them. Supplementing calcium in the evening appears better for osteoporosis prevention than taking calcium in the morning, based on the circadian rhythm of bone loss. In order to not increase the risk of forming kidney stones, most doctors tell people to take calcium supplements only with food.

What is the relationship between calcium supplements and stomach acid? Years ago, researchers reported that people who do not make hydrochloric acid in their stomachs cannot absorb calcium adequately when the calcium is taken alone. In that report, adding hydrochloric acid restored normal calcium absorption. Although researchers have subsequently confirmed these findings, they have also discovered that these same people absorb calcium normally if they take it with meals. In addition, researchers have noted that giving these people hydrochloric acid does not further improve absorption during meals. Others have confirmed that hydrochloric acid, either from pills or from the stomach, is unnecessary for the absorption of calcium, as long as the calcium supplement is taken with meals.

Some doctors have expressed a concern that antacids that contain calcium (like Tums®) or calcium supplements that also act as antacids, interfere with the body’s absorption of calcium. However, this is not the case. Calcium carbonate, the principal ingredient in both Tums and many calcium supplements provides significant (though not optimal) absorbable calcium, as discussed above. Other forms of calcium that might be more bio-available, such as calcium citrate, also act as antacids. The form of calcium associated most consistently with best bio-availability, CCM, is itself, an antacid despite the fact it is used almost exclusively as a source of calcium.

Other concerns about the antacid effect of most calcium supplements (particularly when taken by people who do not need and are not seeking an antacid) are voiced by some doctors because stomach acid is needed to protect against bacterial infection and also to help digest protein. In theory, calcium supplements with antacid activity could at least temporarily interfere with these processes. However, to date, these concerns remain hypothetical.

(Coral Calcium is a salt of calcium derived from fossilized coral reefs. Because living coral reefs are endangered and cannot be harvested without significant damage to the ecosystem, coral calcium is harvested by grinding up above-ground limestone deposits that were once part of a coral reef.)

Answer 2

Coral Calcium Vs Calcium

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Calcium Citrate, Carbonate, or Coral Calcium from Okinawa? What do you know...?
about each of these, how they work, the differences in them, the absorption rate and possible side effects.

Also, if you have information to cite proving your stance, that would be great!

Answer 4

Gotta love when someone just copy/pastes from a website without reading it (some of the Wikipedia info isn't accurate). LOL!!!

The biggest problem is that different people's digestive tracts work very differently. Because of that, different people will have different responses to different Calciums. Many people I've talked to have been told that Carbonate is "the worst form", but I've also talked to people that have had the best absorption from it. It really boils down to personal preference.... many people like the Citrate, Aspertate, or Chelated forms of Calcium from what I've seen.

To add to that, the most important thing about Calcium supplements is NOT the type of Calcium, but what you take with it. Your body does not absorb pure Calcium and send it into your bones very well... that's why most Calcium complexes have Vitamin D/K, Magnesium, Boron, Ipriflavone, Strontium, Silica, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, and/or some soy ingredients. Those are the ingredients that help the absorption of Calcium into your bones the most, and as long as you take enough of those with your Calcium, it won't matter as much what type of Calcium you use.
Oh, and make sure you don't take more than 600 mg of Calcium per 4 hour timeframe.... the human body can't use more than 600 mg at any given point in time. If you take more than that, it can build up in your system (in the wrong places) and cause all sorts of problems down the road.

One thing that is VERY important to make sure of when looking at Calcium is that you aren't taking any acid-blockers.
The #1 reason that people don't digest Calcium is if they don't have enough acid in their stomach, and that's the main thing that acid-blocking prescriptions (and OTCs) cause.... and the worst thing is that most doctors don't tell their patients about that until they come in complaining about their bones. Good luck!

Answer 5

In laymen's terms, Coral Calcium from Okinawa is NOT synthetic and it has all the componants necessary to absorb the calcium properly. Which is what you would find in a head of broccoli or grape fruits.

Calcium is more readily available and utilized by your cells if it is in food form.

All other calciums are synthetic and its like vitamin dumping in the blood stream and it can cause a magnesium deficiency which can leach the calcium from your bones. This is also why I don't include dairy in my diet, because its designed to turn a calf into a one ton animal and it leaches magnesium out of our bones.

Unless milk is organic raw skim milk in moderation or used for Ayervedic purposes, it is not meant to be a staple food every single day.

Back to the subject of calcium...

In a triple blind study, there was no change in osteoperosis in women who took "synthetic" Calcium and D supplementation.

You have to have it the way God put it together. So, take the Coral Calcium. But, it does not have to be the Okinawa coral calcium, there are other sources as well.

What I've just told you is cutting edge information because science hasn't figured this out until the last few years... That's why there are old studies revealing that there is a problem with absorption of all vitamin/minerals and that they can be toxic when taking more of them and yet.. In these studies, they haven't figured out "why."

Synthetics cause your cells to cannabolize neighboring cells to put the nuts and bolts on the vitamin to utilize it, thus causing deficiencies and stressing your endocrine system (liver and kidneys) which eventually people feel tired and switch their vitamins brands like they do with shampoo brands.

The new and cutting edge science tell us that if they are food... like the coral or leafy greens or whole oranges... Your cells say "Thanks for feeding me" and then are armed 24/7 with nourishment because all the brother's and sister's that surround the mineral or vitamin are connected and the cells are pre programmed to absorb them properly.

Some people's genetic disposition will depend upon how fast or how slow they digest their foods. Parasympathetic people are usually high protein and vegetable and the opposite Sympathetic nervous system are those who digest meat and potatos like a paper plate.

So, how fast or how slow you digest depends upon how you eat... However, the science on absorption of vitamin and minerals is the same for everyone across the board.

If God made it eat it; If man made it read it!

Answer 6

There is a big difference between the two as calcium carbonate is regarded as inorganic as the carbonate radical behaves as an inorganic radical even though carbonate (CO3) actually has carbon in it. Calcium citrate is organic and organic supplements are absorbed much better than inorganic supplements. So calcium citrate (organic) is much better than calcium carbonate (inorganic). There is a difference in price as well as calcium carbonate is much cheaper than calcium citrate. To get the same benefits you need much greater doses of calcium carbonate than calcium citrate (calculated as actual calcium).

Answer 7

An important consideration when choosing a Calcium supplement is how it will affect your Metabolic Type. There are four Metabolic Types, two Autonomic (Sympathetic and Parasympathetic) and Oxidation (Fast Oxidizer and Slow Oxidizer). Your type can be determined generally by answering questions on a survey, but your results will be very general as the results are based on your subjective answers. Determining your Metabolic Type by physical testing is more accurate. The idea is that we tend to have a dominant system which is supposed to be in balance with an opposing system (Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic, or Fast Oxidizer vs. Slow Oxidizer). If you are Parasympathetic Dominant than your Parasympathetic System is over-active and your Sympathetic System is under-active. In a balanced state your body functions best. Anything that stimulates your already too excited Parasympathetic System is going to aggravate whatever health challenges you have, so the idea is to eat foods and take supplements that stimulate the under-active system, Sympathetic, and which lower the activity of the Parasympathetic System.

So now to answer the question about Calcium. Calcium is needed in higher amounts by the Parasympathetic Dominants because it lowers Parasympathetic excitement and excites the Sympathetic System into balance. The same is true for the Fast Oxidizers - the Fast oxidation is suppressed and the Slow Oxidizers are energized, bringing the Fast Oxidizers more into balance.

Acidic carriers like phosphate, sulfate, lactate, chloride, and aspartate tend to be good for Parasympathetic and Fast Oxidizer Metabolic types.

Alkaline carriers like carbonate, oxide, citrate, hydroxide, bicarbonate (and possibly malate) tend to worsen the imbalances in Parasympathetics and Fast Oxidizers.

The exact opposite effects are true for the Sympathetic Dominants and the Slow Oxidizers.

So the type of Calcium you choose may be helpful or harmful to you depending on your Metabolic Type.

"One man's health food is another man's poison" (paraphrased) ~ Hippocrates

Answer 8

Calcium citrate is the best because it is absorbed better than the other two.

Calcium carbonate and coral calcium, which is basically calcium carbonate, are regarded as inorganic because they behave as inorganic compounds (in spite of their carbon content in the carbonate radical which is regarded as an inorganic radical) and are not absorbed as well as organic calcium, so calcium citrate, which is organic, is the best.

Calcium gluconate, which is also organic, is also absorbed better than calcium carbonate.

Extra vitamin D helps to absorb more calcium.

Answer 9

you should know that our soil in the USA and Europe is depleted (since the 1950's) of the most needed nutrients.the industrial nations use only three chemicals in their fertilizers.nitrogen,phoshorus and potassium.the human body need needs 72 elements to live a healthy life.basically your so called healthy food is EMPTY ! you can overcome this problem with the correct supplements.visit www.4health411.com and click on the 10 secrets prompt.the information will amaze you.for coral calcium go to www.qnlabs.com ,they have the real coral calcium.

Answer 10

All these sources of calcium that you have mentioned are
good in their own way but the problem is absorption.
According to Vanda Sawtell author of astrology and
biochemistry states in her book that Calc. Phos should
never be taken lower than 6x trituration otherwise it
cannot be assimilated. That is the reason that many brands
of "Calcium Tablets" on the market are ineffectual. They
certainly contain the calcium, but it is in too crude a form to
be assimilated. Further she says, many people suffer from
calcium deficiency even though they may partake of plenty
of calcium foods. This is because they lack Calc. phos in
their digestive secretions and the calcium in the food they
eat does not get digested and absorbed but merely
passes through the body. In cases like this Calc. phos. in the
form of cell salts will normalize the gastric secretions
more quickly than any other method, simply because the
assimilation of the calcium in this form does not depend upon
the digestive juices which, if weak, cannot split up the food
particles and so liberate the calcium they contain.
So please go to any homeopath and ask for Calc. phos 30x
tablets and please consume 4 tablets three times a day
half an hour before every meal and then see it for yourself.
Best of luck. Cheers! :o)

Answer 11

My Doctor recommended Calcium Citrate. I am post menopausal. she said the other calcium's would not give me what I needed to keep my bones strong. And we all want those strong bones so as not to have problems as we age. I take one table twice a day..usually morning and night. Best of luck