I can’t tell you how many patients enter our office taking TUMS in hopes of increasing their daily calcium intake. To say this is a travesty is an understatement! If you want calcium, do what cows do – eat your greens. Taking an antacid is a B A D idea for several reasons.

1. It sounds good in theory, but it doesn’t work in REALITY. Calcium is best absorbed in an acidic environment – Antacids neutralize stomach acid. Therefore, a bad environment is created or at least one that is not conducive to the absorption of calcium is created.
2. Calcium based antacids contain the poorest quality calcium (calcium salt with about 3% absorption) – if you think you need to supplement your diet, purchase a high quality supplement from the natural food store.
3. Frequent use of antacids can lead to constipation. Next, they’ll want you to buy their calcium enriched laxatives!
4. Frequent use of antacids can throw-off your physiologic balance of electrolytes, thus having the possibility of affecting your heart, muscles and virtually anything else in the body.
5. By neutralizing the stomach acid, the food in your gut can not be digested properly – this will lead to digestive problems and poor nutrient absorption, i.e. you’ll get sicker and sicker.

Moral of the story:

If you want strong bones, exercise regularly (specifically anaerobic exercise – weight lifting) and eat a balanced diet rich in vegetables, grains and fruits.