Coral Calcium – The Latest Craze!

Here we go again. Current kook in the spotlight, Robert R. Barefoot, of Wickenberg, Arizona, would like you to believe that limestone obtained from Okinawa provides “the scientific secret of health and youth” and can cure cancer. His ideas are promoted through books, lectures, his Web site, an audiotape, a 30-minute infomercial, interviews, and thousands of Web sites that sell “coral calcium” products. Although his sales pitch is preposterous, he has gained a wide audience.

Thousands of Web sites refer to Barefoot as “Dr. Robert Barefoot” or Robert Barefoot, Ph.D. However, he is not a medical doctor and does not have a Ph.D. degree. In 1999, Barefoot was not permitted to testify as an expert in a case in which the Maryland Attorney General stopped the marketing of T-Up (an aloe vera concentrate) and cesium chloride for the treatment of cancer and AIDS. The case was extremely serious because the regimen had killed several of its users.

Calcium intake is an important factor in bone health and may play some role in the prevention of colon cancer. Barefoot has embellished these simple facts to create an elaborate scheme to promote his publications and coral calcium products. His current video is the most outrageous informercial I have ever seen. Your best bet is to completely ignore what he says and follow a medically approved program that includes adequate calcium and other measures for preventing osteoporosis. The National Academy of Sciences advises Americans and Canadians at risk for osteoporosis to consume between 1,000 and 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day. This can be done with dairy products, supplements, or both. Readily absorbable supplements need not cost more than a few cents a day.

Coral calcium products are a waste of money, and some are irrationally formulated. For professional advice on calcium intake, ask a registered dietitian (R.D.) or physician to help you. For a detailed review of this subject, including the refutation of claims on a point to point basis visit the Coral Calcium webpage maintained by the crown king of medical quackwatchery; Dr Stephen Barrett MD. [Comment on this Post]