Not logged in
Can Tums prevent osteoporosis?
By Dr. Jonathan Wright on 10/24/2010
Question: I keep seeing these commercials for Tums that tell me it can help prevent osteoporosis. Is that true?
Dr. Wright: Tums are mostly calcium carbonate, the least well-absorbed form of calcium. It's especially poorly absorbed by people with hypochlorhydria, or weak stomach acid production, which is an extremely common condition in people with osteoporosis.
As far as I'm aware, there haven't been any studies showing that calcium carbonate, like what's found in Tums, actually does help prevent osteoporosis. But one thing I AM sure of is that if Tums were all natural, the FDA certainly wouldn't allow the manufacturers to make a claim like that.
Printer-friendly versionAbout the author
Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. has degrees from both Harvard University (cum laude) and the University of Michigan. More than any other doctor, he practically invented the modern science of applied nutritional biochemistry and he has advanced nutritional medicine for nearly three decades.
As of today, Dr. Wright has received over 35,000 patient visits at his now-famous Tahoma Clinic in Washington State.
To learn more about Dr. Wright, and to sign up for his free Health e-Tips eLetter, please visit www.wrightnewsletter.com.
Email this Article
Comments
mrs. jane crosby
Well we need acid to absorb calcium right? I thought Tums neutralized stomach acid. Does not make sense.
vikingstork
mrs. jane -- here is the answer, a little long, i found it on answers.com
Basically, they react and result is calcium chloride and CO2:
"calcium carbonate is an alkali, and when mixed with an acid (hydrochloric) generate the chemical reaction mentioned previous.
CaCO3 + 2HCl → CaCl2 + CO2 + H2O.
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) is made up of Calcium, carbon and oxygen ( the "...ate" bit).
Hydrochloric acid (2HCl) is made from Hydrogen and Chlorine.
The resulting reaction is based on these five elements and their reactance to create new compounds.
The hydrogen combines with one oxygen part of the calciun carbonate to produce water - (H2O).
The Calcium grabs the chlorine element to produce Calcium Chloride - CaCl2 ( got to check that).
This now leaves the remaining 2 parts of Oxygen (O2) and the carbon (C) to combine into carbon dioxide (CO2) - the visible gas bubbles you see in the experiment.
CaCl2 + CO2 + H2O.
Lori
My mother used Tums for years on the advice of her doctor. She now has significant heart calcifications and joint calcifications, not to even mention digestive issues (like zero stomach acid). My brother chews them like candy for heartburn, which his doc says is fine. He doesn't believe me when I suggest that the tums may have something to do with his kidney problems. This product should be taken off the market. And even if it was a decent product, no calcium will work without it's co-factors: magnesium and other minerals, D3, and K2.
Post new comment