What’s on the Label and What’s Not
Tums is a well-known antacid, and although you will not find Tums in the vitamin section of the store, many people take it for supplementation of calcium. Questions you might ask yourself are is it healthy to supplement with an antacid, what are its ingredients and how will they impact me?
Tums Ingredient breakdown:
Active ingredient:
Calcium carbonate: one tablet of tums has 1,000mg. Calcium carbonate, which is essentially chalk, a tasteless, odorless powder that occurs naturally in limestone, marble and coral. It is an additive that is used as a white food dye, to reduce acidity in wine, as a neutralizer for ice cream, cream syrups, confections, and baking powder, and also used as a firming agent.
Other uses are as a filler in deodorants, as a tooth polisher, and a buffer in face powder. Calcium Carbonate can cause constipation and if taken in excess, sometimes causes nausea, weakness and dizziness.
Inactive ingredients:
Sucrose (Sugar. Cane sugar): This is used as a sweetener and food agent, a demulcent (used for soothing raw, inflamed patches of skin), a preservative and antioxidant and a substitute for glycerin.
Cornstarch: An absorbent dusting powder that helps to sooth irritated colons. Can cause some allergic reactions, rashes, and asthma.
Talc: Finely powdered native magnesium silicate, (a mineral), aka French chalk lumps of soapstones of steatite (a grayish-green or brown talc used in porcelain and as an insulator). It is the main ingredient in many everyday products such as baby, face and bath powder and for eye shadows, and other cosmetics. Used in chewing gum and vitamins, gives a slippery sensation to creams and powders. Lung problems and cancer can result from excessive inhaling. In babies it has been known to cause coughing, vomiting, or even pneumonia when used carelessly.
Mineral oil: White oil derived from petroleum. It is colorless, transparent, odorless, and tasteless. In many everyday products it is used as a coating for fresh fruits and vegetables, cosmetics, creams, conditioners, and lotions, as well as a lubricant and a protective agent and binder. This oil may inhibit absorption of digestive fats and laxative effect.
Adipic acid: Found in beets, it is used to flavor, buffer and as a neutralizing agent. There is no known toxicity.
Artificial flavors: These flavors are not duplicated in nature. Although artificial flavors may have natural ingredients, it must be called artificial if it has no counterpart in nature.
Sodium polyphosphate: This is inorganic chemicals. It is a buffer and effervescent in nail enamels and detergents. White granules or crystalline powder, is stable in air. It can irritate the skin however there is no known skin toxicity.
Red 40 lake: An additive and food coloring dye. Used for an esthetically pleasing appearance but can have negative reaction when consumed. Children are most sensitive with reactions including temper tantrums, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, uncontrollable crying/screaming, kicking, nervousness, dizziness, and an inability to concentrate and sit still. Known to cause frequent headaches, migraines, upset stomach or feeling ill after ingesting this additive, when eliminated from the diet, has an immediate and noticeable change. The National Cancer Institute reported a chemical used in the preparation of Red 40 was carcinogenic in animals.
Blue 1 lake: An additive of synthetic color. Water insoluble found in beverages, dairy products, powders, jellies, confection, condiments, icings, syrups, and extracts. It produced malignant tumors at the site of injection and by ingestion in a rat study.
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