NOW Foods Coral Calcium 1000mg 250 Capsules

What it is

NOW Foods Coral Calcium 1000 mg is a dietary supplement sold in a 250-capsule bottle, and each capsule provides 1 gram (1,000 mg) of fossilized coral calcium. That gram of coral material yields 350 mg of elemental calcium, which the Supplement Facts panel lists at 27% of the Daily Value. The serving size printed on the panel is one capsule.

The label files the product under NOW's Minerals range — the word "Minerals" is printed on the band across the top of the back label — and the front panel carries a Non-GMO badge and a kosher mark alongside the words "250 Capsules" and "Dietary Supplement". At the label's suggested usage of one capsule twice daily, a 250-capsule bottle is a 125-day supply, which is what distinguishes this large-format bottle from the smaller counts in the same line.

What's inside

The formula is unusually short for a supplement: one active ingredient and four excipients, all named in full on the panel.

Fossilized coral calcium

Fossilized coral calcium is a calcium-carbonate mineral taken from ancient coral deposits that are no longer part of a living reef. NOW is explicit about the sourcing on the bottle itself, printing: "NOW Coral Calcium is not harvested from living coral reefs or even from the ocean environment, but from above-ground sources in an ecologically friendly manner." The panel gives the material two separate lines — 1 g (1,000 mg) of fossilized coral calcium, and the 350 mg of elemental calcium that quantity contains. The 1,000 mg figure is marked with a dagger and the footnote "Daily Value not established", because there is no Daily Value for coral calcium as a raw material; the Daily Value applies to the calcium itself.

Calcium is one of the essential dietary minerals, and it is the mineral the human body holds in the largest quantity. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements consumer fact sheet on calcium gives general background on the nutrient, the amounts adults are generally advised to get, and the forms it is commonly sold in. It is background reading about the mineral, not an assessment of this product.

The other ingredients

Four excipients appear on the panel, and none of them is filler in the pejorative sense — each has a job in a capsule this size:

• Hypromellose (cellulose capsule) — the capsule shell itself, made from modified plant cellulose rather than gelatin.
• Rice flour — a bulking agent that takes up the spare volume in the shell so the powder does not shift or settle unevenly.
• Ascorbyl palmitate — a fat-soluble form of ascorbic acid used here in the small quantities typical of a processing aid.
• Silicon dioxide — an anti-caking and flow agent that keeps a fine mineral powder moving cleanly through capsule-filling machinery.

Anyone who wants to compare this panel against other calcium products can look the category up in the NIH's Dietary Supplement Label Database, which archives label panels as printed.

Supplement Facts

Transcribed directly from the Supplement Facts panel on the bottle.

How to use it

The label's Suggested Usage reads: take 1 capsule twice daily, preferably before meals with water. That is the whole of the directions printed on the bottle — no loading period, no cycling schedule and no further limit printed beyond the serving size itself.

Storage is equally brief: store in a cool, dry place after opening. A kitchen cupboard away from the stove and the window is the usual reading of that; a steamy bathroom shelf is not.

Who it's for

This is a large-format bottle for adults 18 and over who already know they want a calcium supplement and would rather buy 250 capsules at once than reorder every few weeks. At one capsule twice daily it covers roughly four months, so it suits someone settled on a routine rather than someone sampling a category for the first time.

The capsule shell is hypromellose rather than gelatin, which matters to buyers avoiding animal-derived capsules. The panel's allergen statement will matter to others. If you are choosing between mineral formats, the rest of the minerals range and the wider supplements category are worth comparing on serving size and elemental content rather than on the headline milligram number, since those two figures are rarely the same.

Good to know

The bottle's caution, printed in full, is: "For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children."

The allergen statement, also printed on the panel, reads: "Not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens."

Two further notes appear on the label. The first is "Natural color variation may occur in this product" — expected with a mineral drawn from a natural deposit. The second concerns the packaging rather than the contents: "This bottle is made from 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) resin." The back label also carries the line "Family owned since 1968", a "GMP Quality Assured" seal and a kosher mark, and states that the product is "Made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients". The manufacturer is given as NOW Foods, 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA.

You will notice an asterisk beside some of the wording on the front of the bottle. That marks a structure/function claim, a specific regulatory category the FDA describes on its own site, and it is why the disclaimer at the foot of this page is worded the way it is. If you are new to buying supplements generally, the NIH's what you need to know guide is a plain-English starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the coral taken from living reefs?

No — the bottle states that this coral calcium is not harvested from living coral reefs or from the ocean environment, but from above-ground fossilized deposits. That sentence is printed on the label itself rather than being a marketing line added by the retailer.

How much actual calcium is in one capsule?

350 mg of elemental calcium, which the panel puts at 27% of the Daily Value. That comes from 1 gram of fossilized coral calcium, so the 1000 mg in the product name refers to the coral material rather than to the calcium content — the two numbers measure different things and both are printed on the panel.

How many capsules are in the bottle, and how many days does that cover?

250 capsules. At the label's suggested usage of one capsule twice daily, that is a 125-day supply.

Is the capsule suitable for someone avoiding gelatin?

Yes — the panel lists the shell as hypromellose (cellulose capsule), which is derived from plant cellulose, and no gelatin appears anywhere in the ingredient list. The panel also states the product is not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients.

How is this order packaged for delivery?

Orders ship in plain outer packaging with no description of the contents on the outside. It will not show the Gear Isle name.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.