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Coral

Corals are marine animals with an external skeletal structure that form coral reefs. Coral is used as a calcium supplement, to treat multiple sclerosis, and to treat and prevent cancer, heart disease and other chronic health problems. Surgeons use coral as a base for building new bone in reconstructive surgery, facial cosmetic surgery and in areas damaged by trauma. New bone cells grow inside the coral and the coral eventually dissolves.

How does coral work?

Surgeons use coral as a substitute for bone. Coral appears to allow the body to build new bone in its place.

How effective is coral?

Coral may be effective as a substitute for bone. Coral can be used in place of bone for surgical fusion of multiple vertebrae and bone tumors, as well as in dental surgery and other surgical areas. Coral has several advantages over bone grafting. Corals have a lower infection rate and there is no risk of transmitting diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of coral when used as a calcium supplement. There is no scientific evidence that calcium from coral has any advantages over calcium from other sources. There is also insufficient scientific data on the effectiveness of coral in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, as well as the treatment and prevention of cancer, heart disease and other chronic health problems. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of coral in all these applications.

Safety and side effects

Corals used in surgery are safe and harmless for most people. However, there is not enough information on whether oral ingestion of coral products is safe and harmless. Some coral products contain lead.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of coral during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid coral.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of coral with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of coral depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to determine appropriate dosage ranges for coral. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Barrett S. Coral Calcium. June 12, 2003. http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/coral.html (Accessed June 26, 2003).
  2. Federal Trade Commission. FTC and FDA Take New Actions in Fight Against Deceptive Marketing. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/trudeau.htm (Accessed July 28, 2003).
  3. Marchac D, Sandor G. Use of coral granules in the craniofacial skeleton. J Craniofac Surg 1994;5:213-7.
  4. Roux FX, Brasnu D, Menard M, et al. Madreporic coral for cranial base reconstruction. 8 years experience. Acta Neurochir (Vienna) 1995;133:201-205.
  5. Schulz A, Hilgers RD, Niedermeier W. The effect of splinting of teeth in combination with reconstructive periodontal surgery in humans. Clin Oral Investig 2000;4:98-105.
  6. Thalgott JS, Klezl Z, Timlin M, Giuffre JM. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with processed sea coral (coralline hydroxyapatite) as part of a circumferential fusion. Spine 2002;27:E518-25.
  7. Vuola J, Bohling T, Kinnunen J, et al. Natural coral as bone-defect-filling material. J Biomed Mater Res 2000;51:117-22.