So. You are dealing with some stomach issues, and you pop a few antacids…
Once upon a time, I have been there. And “why not?”, you say– Aren’t antacids supposed to aid in digestion? Growing up, and even into college, I loved those things. I would look for any excuse to pop a few.
Stomachache?
Indigestion?
Um… calcium supplement?
All three?
Why not? Some of those things taste like candy! And truthfully, some of them very well may be.
In order to avoid indigestion and tummy aches in the first place, it would be wise to cut out products like dairy, soy and peanut butter. All of which are difficult for the body to digest, in the first place. Your second step would be to practice proper food combinations. You can read more about food combining here. In short, what food combining pairs foods that require the same digestive acids, and enzymes. These acids and enzymes work together to break down the food, instead of against it. If you practice proper food combining, and eliminate certain foods from your diet, indigestion will be a way of the past.
But why not tasty Antacids?
1. Antacids, especially ones that contain aluminum, can interfere with calcium, zinc, and magnesium absorption, and function. It is not uncommon for the elderly to over consume antacids due to frequent and reoccurring indigestion, and heartburn, and thus encourage mineral deficiencies. Hello, osteoporosis?
2. Antacids containing aluminum hydroxide, or calcium carbonate can weaken protein digestion, and lead to constipation. While antacids containing magnesium hydroxide, or sodium bicarbonate, may cause diarrhea (1). Sounds a bit counterintuitive, hmm?
3. Although popular brands of antacids do not contain aluminum, they may contain dairy, sugar, or other sweeteners, and animal products. They may contain also traces of lead. The chewy antacids, even contain hydrogenated oils– as in trans fats! That is just asking for indigestion. That would be like swallowing gum, whole.
4. Additionally, many calcium supplements, and antacids, obtain their source of calcium from the limestone rock. This is a larger topic in itself, but it does not seem wise to me that we ingest fragments of rock. It is not an uncommon belief amongst naturopaths, and doctors alike, that calcium supplementation, can aid in the degenerative process in the blood, organs, and tissues. (I do not feel that this applies to plant-based calcium supplements). In other words, don’t eat rocks, they may deteriorate the body.
5. Antacids work to neutralize stomach acid. The thing is… we want this stomach acid, because it is this acid that helps us break down food. If we neutralize it… the food is going to give the digestive system trouble. Then you’ll be thinking you want more antacids. Funny how that works…
Tips for better digestion:
-Avoid hard to digest foods, like dairy, soy, peanut butter, and processed and refined goodies.
-Practice food combining
-If you are really concerned with your inability to digest, try a digestive enzyme. I am personally a fan of Healthforce Nutritionals, products.
Work Cited
(1) The Four Main Active Ingredients in Antacids to Look out for, by Edward V.
Very interesting. I am a vegan teenager and my mom bought me Tums to take for calcium. Do these contain the harmful substances mentioned above?!
Hi Devyn,
I pulled this directly from Tums.com:
“TUMS contains calcium carbonate as an active ingredient. Calcium carbonate has the capacity to neutralize stomach acid”…
The issue is not stomach acid that needs to be neutralized, but rather the foods that are being eaten that are causing the gurgling and uncomfortable feeling in the first place.
hey for calcium intake and avoiding anything from an animal you can eat any of the stuff on this site, it gives you all the information you need. average person 19 – 50 needs about 1000mg of calcium a day. if your a teenage i think you would need a bit more. but here is the site.
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/15-non-dairy-foods-high-in-calcium.html
Eat those foods and you can avoid the bad stuff in tums and still get the calcium you need while avoiding animal byproducts.
Hi,
I am currently attending to school to become an RD someday, so of course I’m obsessed with nutrition. For some reason, no one believes me when I try to tell them how bad antacids for them; my parents tend to pop them like candy. I am definitely going to be printing this out and showing it to them when I get the chance. Thank you!
I believe it is very crucial to spread the word about how terrible antacids actually are for you. I don’t always like to preach, but sounds like I’m going to have to from now on whenever I see a friend or family member popping an antacid.
Here’s a little tip that I learned: eat almonds to prevent heartburn or other similar digestive issues. I’m not 100% sure what it is in the almonds that does it, but they almost immediately soothe any type of indigestion. It’s incredible and one of the greatest natural wonders I’ve ever encountered!
In other words, most people should replace their Tums bottles with packages of raw, plain almonds. Once you try them instead of your regular antacid, you will never, ever go back. Promise.
Thanks Emily! As for the almond tip, that is very very interesting. I have never even heard of such a tip. As for indigestion, it stems from what people are eating– not what they need to fix it with… so if we all just start eating better, indigestion should be a way of the past. Almonds are much healthier than tums though.
[...] A word of caution… try to always avoid mineral supplements that do not use food as a source of nutrients. Your body has no place swallowing magnesium and calcium derived from rocks. (oh… And Antacids (like Tums), are not valuable sources either). Check out this article on antacids. [...]