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Antacids May Be More Important Than Calcium in Osteoporosis Prevention

The calcium in calcium supplements may not be the primary ingredient responsible for the prevention of osteoporosis, according to a study reported by Wayne State University School of Medicine researcher Dr. Warren Lockette in the February issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. The study suggests that antacids in conjunction with calcium may be the best nutritional supplements to improve bone health.

These popular calcium supplements also happen to be antacids, which might explain the reason they prevent osteoporosis.

Dr. Lockette’s study, “Ethnic Differences in Titratable Acid Excretion and Bone Mineralization,” initially sought to explain why black Americans, who seem to consume and absorb less dietary calcium than white Americans, have increased rates of bone mineralization, greater bone density, and a decreased prevalence of osteoporosis and fractures compared to whites. Dr. Lockette noted that Western diets, which are rich in calcium, are also more likely to be rich in acid. He suggested ethnic differences in the body’s ability to buffer this dietary acid may result in contrasting bone density. This publication confirmed his hypothesis: differences in calcium metabolism among blacks and whites are secondary to ethnic variations in acid metabolism.

“We now believe that acid metabolism may be as important as dietary calcium in governing bone density and health. This radically changes what we previously thought about calcium as the major preventive force against osteoporosis,” said Warren Lockette, MD, professor of neurosurgery at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.

To test his hypothesis--that the way an individual handles dietary acid affects bone health--he tested a group of 33 United States Navy SEAL trainees. This cohort of highly-trained athletes showed a strong relationship between the prevalence of stress fractures and acid excretion. Those trainees who had the highest acid output were most likely to have stress fractures during their physical training.

Dr. Lockette noted that all of the popular over-the-counter calcium supplements such as Tums, Citrical, and Caltrate also happen to be antacids, and antacids may help the body deposit calcium in bone. These findings are also noteworthy because the cost of antacids are only a fraction of the much more expensive treatments being touted for osteoporosis.

“This is significant because it shows that antacids, rather than just calcium, may be the best nutritional supplements to improve bone health.” Dr. Lockette is now determining whether age-related declines in acid excretion contribute to the progression of osteoporosis in a more sedentary population.

Professor Lockette’s decision to study Navy SEALS was not an accident. His specialty is human performance in extreme environments, and as such, he serves as a senior biomedical advisor for the special operations forces of the United States Navy.

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