Health and Fitness Notes

If you are concerned about your health, you might take one of the many coral calcium products out on the market but did you ever stop to think about what is actually in it?

Coral calcium is found in two places – Okinawa Japan and along the coast of Brazil. Coral calcium itself is a product of the ocean reefs and the harvesting of coral calcium comes from the land or the ocean bed found at the coral reef’s base.

Many of the coral islands of Okinawa are of volcanic origin and the coral reefs created by these underground volcanoes grow horizontally in order to cover the pits in the seabed caused by the volcanoes. Removing the coral calcium sands that choke off the reefs provides pathways for expansion and room for the reefs to grow.

Marine coral sand or calcium is actually the droppings from the edges of the coral reefs. Over time these droppings occur naturally as they disintegrate and pieces are detached. The natural actions of the waves are partially responsible for the disintegration and erosion of the reefs. Waves can actually break small terminal parts of a coral reef. Some of the sand is a byproduct of certain types of fish who munch on the coral. It is this sand or droppings from which coral calcium products are made.

Removing the coral calcium from the seabed around the coral reef is comparable to pruning a rose bush. Because Okinawa is a cluster of very shallow islands the coral sands accumulate significantly. The sands almost reach the point of choking the coral reef. The harvesting of the coral calcium is stringently regulated and monitored by the Okinawan government. In fact, only three Work Cooperatives are authorized to harvest the coral sand from that area.

This does not harm the living coral reefs, it rejuvenates them. Suction dredges, positioned three or four miles away from the nearest reef, harvest the coral sand by gently sucking it away from the reefs. Fences, surrounding the area where deep trenches are dug, protect the environment.

The ways in which coral calcium is reaped from the sea do not pose any threat to coral reefs or their delicate ecosystems and they create natural coral calcium products that are good for your bodies as well as the environment!

Tags: keeping fit, exercise