Tums for Calcium?

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Tums for Calcium?

I have been told I should not be taking Tums as a source of calcium.

Why not?

 

 

Tums provide calcium as calcium carbonate (chalk), which is

noteasily absorbed by the body. I recommend using calcium citrate, a

form that is better absorbed.

 

Tums are less expensive than calcium supplements. But as you age,

the amount of acid in the stomach decreases.

 

As you may know, I recently revised my calcium recommendation

downward. I made the change after reviewing two large studies

conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, which showed that

calcium doesn't actually reduce the risk of osteoporosis as we once

thought.

I now suggest that women supplement with only 500 of calcium

citrate taken with meals, for a total daily intake of 1,000-1,200 mg

from all sources. You may want to reduce your supplemental calcium

if you ingest high amounts of dietary calcium, such as dairy

products, cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt along with other calcium

fortified foods like tofu, soy milk and orange juice. In the past, I

recommended supplementing with 1,200 mg daily in divided doses and

1,500 mg for postmenopausal women who were not on hormone

replacement therapy.

 

Men need even less calcium. I now recommend 500 mg from all dietary

sources and suggest that men avoid taking any supplemental calcium.

 

High intake of this mineral is associated with an increased risk of

prostate cancer.

 

One of the Harvard studies found that men who drank two glasses of

milk a day (that translates to about 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium) had

twice the incidence of developing advanced prostate cancer.

 

The lower amounts of calcium I now recommend should be sufficient to

protect bones.

 

However, the lifestyle measures listed below can also help prevent

bone loss as you get older (after age 30 both men and women begin

losing bone mass slowly; this accelerates for women after menopause):

 

Exercise regularly. Make sure to engage in both weight-bearing

exercise (walking, jogging or anything else you can do on your feet)

and strength training for muscles.

 

Be sure to get adequate vitamin D. I now recommend 1,000 IU of

vitamin D3 daily. The ultraviolet B rays of the sun trigger your

skin to make vitamin D (provided you're not wearing sunscreen).

 

We don't get much D in our diets, so if you don't get regular sun

exposure, it is necessary to supplement with this vitamin.

 

Get adequate daily vitamin K (120 mcg for men, 90 mcg for women).

Low intake has been linked to low bone density. You get vitamin K in

broccoli, Brussels sprouts, dark green lettuce, collard greens and

kale.

 

Watch your protein intake. Too much can promote calcium loss from

bones.

 

Cut back on caffeine and sodas: too much of either can promote

calcium excretion.

 

Andrew Weil, M.D.

www.drweil.com