Dear Sue,

Three years ago, when my sister-in-law was pregnant, her doctor recommended that she take up to five Tums antacids a day for calcium. She does not drink milk and was worried about her calcium intake.

Tums has been discussed on the Natural Health bulletin board. Are Tums, in fact, a good source of calcium? Or, do Tums have an adverse affect on the stomach's lining inhibiting our bodies from absorbing the calcium? I feel like I am getting mixed views from doctors and alternative sources like natural health guides.

Thank you for your time,
Laurel

Dear Laurel,

Tums are a fine source of calcium, and in none of my investigations could I find a study that showed that calcium absorption was inhibited due to effects on the stomach lining. That does not mean that such studies do not exist, just that I haven't seen them.

A regular Tums contains about 200 milligrams of calcium and so is best for those needing only to get a small increase in their calcium intake. Tums have the effect of lowering the acidity of the stomach by reducing the amount of hydrochloric acid that is secreted. Taking several Tums every day, day in and day out, may have detrimental effects on digestion. There are Tums Extra Strength containing 500mg of calcium, which would permit your sister-in-law to take only two a day to get a good amount of calcium. If your sister-in-law does not need an antacid, then a calcium supplement containing 300 to 500mg plus vitamin D would be a better choice.

Try Other Sources of Calcium
Calcium carbonate supplements are the most concentrated. Two pills a day should supply about 1000mg. A women of child-bearing age should be getting about 1500mg of calcium per day. Rather than relying solely on pills, I suggest that you encourage your sister in law to get some of her calcium from foods:

• Those who cannot tolerate milk are usually able to tolerate yogurt. Yogurt is a wonderful source of calcium and it supplies other important nutrients as well.
• Fortified orange juice is a good source, again supplying other nutrients.
• Broccoli contains calcium that is fairly well absorbed.
• Spinach has a significant amount of calcium, but its absorption is somewhat inhibited due to the presence of oxalates.
• Also, Swiss chard, cabbage, canned salmon and tofu are good sources.

Many thanks for reading and writing,
Sincerely,
Sue Gilbert