Calcium carbonate is composed of three elements which are of particular importance for all organic and inorganic material on our planet: carbon, oxygen and calcium. Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) is a white solid and odourless.

The earths crust contains more then 4% calcium carbonate, making it one of nature’s most abundant raw materials. Calcium carbonate is found as rock in all parts of the world, is the main component of seashells and is usually the principal cause of hard water. As well being dissolved in rivers and oceans, the mineral can be found in molten form as “cold” carbonatite-lava, or as a solid in the form of stalactites, stalagmites or as the major constituent of whole mountain ranges.

10 things you might not know about Calcium Carbonate

Calcium Carbonate Geology

Calcium carbonate is normally found as a white mineral (calcite) which occurs naturally in chalks, limestones and marbles. Some of these rocks were formed by inorganic processes, but many are of organic origin being composed of the remains of countless sea organisms. Most are limestones, a general term used for a rock possessing varying proportions of calcite and dolomite with small amounts of iron-bearing carbonates. Dolomite is a double carbonate of calcium and magnesium, with the formula CaMg(CO₃)₂. Limestones are usually clear or white. However, with impurities, they can take on a variety of colours, commonly white, tan or grey.

More about calcium carbonate geology

The most common crystal arrangement for naturally-occurring calcium carbonates is the hexagonal form of calcite. Less common is aragonite, which has a discrete or clustered needle, orthorhombic crystal structure. Aragonite is formed in a narrow range of physio-chemical conditions, typically in thermal springs although mollusc shells and pearls are made of aragonite.

Calcium carbonate production

Commercial calcium carbonate is produced in 2 ways: through the extraction and processing of natural ores or synthetically through chemical precipitation. Ground calcium carbonate is commonly referred to as GCC. Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) is produced through a recarbonisation process or as a by-product of some bulk chemical processes (e.g. the Solvay method or caustic soda production).

How calcium carbonate is turned into fillers and functional additives

A long history of uses from prehistory to the present day

Calcium carbonate has been used since prehistoric times to the present day.  The history of calcium carbonate shows how we have been able to utilise the unique properties of this mineral to improve the quality of life through the ages.

Historical uses of calcium carbonate

Today, Calcium carbonate powders, precipitated products and dolomite, are among the most important and versatile materials used by industry. It is used as a filler and functional additive in an incredible variety of industrial applications ranging adhesives & sealants, building products, glass, paints & inks, paper, plastic & rubber to animal feeds, flue-gas desulphurisation, fertilizers, food, personal care, pharmaceuticals and water treatment.

http://calcium-carbonate.org.uk/calcium-carbonate.asp

Watch both video’s and see a real-life example of how our rights are slowly being taken away by the powers that be.

(NaturalNews) -http://bit.ly/vwU6BC Those brightly colored gummy or chewable vitamins you give your children in hopes of providing them with more nutrients may actually harm their health. The sweetening ingredients added to make vitamins more attractive to children also put them at risk for obesity, diabetes, asthma, diarrhea and other ailments. Take a look at what our label research turned up about these products.

Disney Princess

According to the label, Disney Princess Gummies contain: corn syrup, sugar, grape juice concentrate, gelatin, modified corn starch, citric acid, lactic acid, purple berry color concentrate, (maqui berry juice concentrate, sugar), maltodextrin, fractionated coconut oil, beeswax, dicalcium phosphate, natural flavors, black carrot juice color oncentrate, silica, annatto color, mannitol. Disney does not manufacture these vitamins but licenses its logo to NBTY, Inc. and two of its subsidiaries, NatureSmart LLC and Rexall Sundown, Inc. In 2010, these companies agreed to pay just over $2 million to the Federal Trade Commission for using false claims that their vitamins promoted healthy brain and eye development in children.

Flintstones

Flintstones Complete Gummies are comprised of “glucose syrup, sucrose, gelatin, water, choline bitartrate; less than 2% of: artificial flavors, ascorbic acid, bees wax, carnauba wax, citric acid, d-biotin, d-calcium pantothenate, fd&c blue #1, fd&c red #40, fd&c yellow #6, folic acid, potassium iodide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vegetable oil (coconut or palm), vitamin A acetate, vitamin B12, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), vitamin E acetate, zinc sulfate.”

Gummi King

Gummi King Sugar Free Multivitamins contain: maltitol syrup, maltitol, water, pectin, fumaric acid, citric acid, natural flavors, colors added (black carrot juice concentrate, turmeric), fiber.” Gummi King is a vegan line, and their website prominently displays the approval of PETA.

Centrum

The Centrum line of vitamins is owned by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Centrum produces a wide spectrum of vitamin products for different age groups, including a kids chewable vitamin. Centrum Kids Complete Multivitamins ingredients are “sucrose, dibasic calcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, mannitol (wheat), calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid (vit. C), stearic acid (soybean), pregelatinized corn starch, mono- and di-glycerides.” The label also notes that the product contains less than 2% of the following: acacia, aspartame, beta-carotene, bht, biotin, calcium pantothenate, carbonyl iron, carrageenan, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), chromic chloride, citric acid, corn starch, cupric oxide, cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), dextrose, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), dried corn syrup, fd&c blue no. 2 aluminum lake, fd&c red no. 40 aluminum lake, fd&c yellow no. 6 aluminum lake, folic acid, gelatin, guar gum, hypromellose, lactose (milk), magnesium borate, magnesium stearate, malic acid, maltodextrin, manganese sulfate, medium chain triglycerides, modified corn starch, natural and artificial flavors, niacinamide, phytonadione (vit. k), potassium iodide, propylene glycol alginate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), silicon dioxide, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, sodium molybdate, sorbic acid, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), tocopherols, tribasic calcium phosphate, vanillin, vitamin a acetate, zinc oxide.

Harmful Ingredients

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been linked to a range of health conditions such as tooth decay, liver damage, obesity, diabetes and ADHD.  Additionally, the manufacturing process which transforms corn first into corn starch and then into HFCS involves the use of toxic chemicals. One of those, glutaraldehyde, is an embalming fluid which can induce headaches, dizziness, burning eyes, and asthma. Mercury is also used in the HFCS production process. In a 2009 study, between half and one third of all products containing HCFS were found to have mercury contamination. From: (http://www.naturalnews.com/032948_h…).

Unfortunately, maltitol, one of the substitutes some companies use for HCFC, carries its own health issues. Products containing maltitol technically qualify as “sugar-free.” Maltitol is a sugar alcohol, meaning its chemical structure resembles both sugar and alcohol. Unlike sugar, sugar alcohols are not fully absorbed in the bloodstream so they have less impact on blood sugar. Sugar alcohols cannot cause inebriation but they can ferment in the intestinal tract, causing gas, bloating or diarrhea.

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http://tinyurl.com/3k923wq FDA has yet to bar it, WHY?

Formaldehyde content of leading hair-straightening products

Top salons use six brands of formaldehyde-laden hair straighteners, despite widely reported health concerns for workers and clients.

• Brazilian Blowout – up to 11.8 percent formaldehyde (Sources: 1,2,3, 4)
• Cadiveu – 7 percent (Source: 2)
• Coppola – up to 2.3 percent (Sources: 1,5,6,7,8,9,10)
• Global Keratin – up to 4.4 percent (Sources: 2,3,7)
• Simply Smooth – up to 0.93 percent (Source: 7)
• Marcia Teixeira – up to 3.4 percent (Sources: 1,2,4,6,7,8,9)

Sources: (1) Oregon OSHA, (2) Health Canada, (3) Irish Medicines Board, (4) Allure magazine, (5) Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, (6) Professional Beauty Association, (7) Columbia Analytical Services laboratory, (8) Department of Health and Children (Ireland), (9) French Health Products Safety Agency (Afssaps), (10) EU Rapid Alert System.