The trouble with Tums
Q: I saw an ad the other day for Tums that said it can help prevent osteoporosis. Is this true, or are they trying to pull one over on us?
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.
