There are two sources of Okinawa coral calcium. Above sea coral calcium, which is mined above sea level and below sea coral calcium, which is also called "marine grade" coral calcium. Below sea coral calcium is vacuumed from the ocean bottom near the Coral reefs. Which is best, Above-Sea Coral Calcium or Below-Sea Coral Calcium?The fossilized coral suppliers claim that theirs is in aragonite form which is more soluble than the marine variety which is heat treated and becomes a calcite form of crystal. This has been verified in a Japanese laboratory.The discoverer of Coral Calcium was Dr. Robert barefoot. His belief was that the reason why the Okinawans from Japan lived longer was that their drinking water was rich in coral reef substances surrounding their area. He further said that it would neutralize the toxic acidity of the body as coral calcium is alkaline based.

A little foray to Okinawa last summer unearthed another matter of concern regarding "marine" coral calcium - that is the purity of a product that involves vacuuming the ocean floor. We obtained raw marine coral product samples which have a high sand content. This is not all bad as sand is not toxic or harmful. It is just not a pure coral product. These impurities are likely the reason marine coral calcium has lower calcium content than fossilized coral. Some people also favor the fossilized form on ethical grounds - because the marine vacuuming process can be damaging to the coral environment. Although we would take "marine" coral if it were the only type available, we favor fossilized coral for reasons noted above. Both forms of Okinawa coral are long dead so much of their mineral content is depleted relative to live coral which has recently been introduced.Coral Calcium and the Effects on the Environment For years, coral calcium web sites have been claiming that they do not harm the environment when harvesting their coral. Taking a closer look at the harvesting processes that are used tell a different story about the effects of coral calcium on the environment. Now more than ever, the coral reefs of Okinawa Japan are endangered and need all the help we can provide.

Marine Coral Calcium Many companies sell marine coral calcium that they say is "only the dead coral debris vacuumed up from around the reefs." Unfortunately for the environment this dredging process includes a 250 foot industrial dredging ship lowering a large pipe to the bottom of the ocean and vacuuming. This method not only takes the dead coral debris but destroys the reef eco system by generating a thick layer of silt which smothers the reef killing the coral larvae that grow future reefs in the surrounding areas.