There are still many people who believe that Coral Calcium is nothing more than hyped Calcium Carbonate. Although it is true that the calcium found in coral is indeed a carbon based molecule, giving it a calcium carbonate classification, the photos below clearly depict the fact that there is an immense difference between organic coral calcium, and inorganic calcium carbonate. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words; in this case it could be a million.

Coral Calcium	Calcium Carbonate

Calcium Carbonate
Figure 1B

Figure 1B: High power microscopic photographs of coral calcium, and calcium carbonate (plain). The porosity of coral calcium (43%) exceeds calcium carbonate. This enhanced porosity gives special physico-chemical characteristics to coral calcium. More minerals may dissolve when water is filtered through coral and more of the contents of the water may be extracted (loosely termed the “detoxifying action of coral sand”).

Stephen Holt MD.