The Sosa Clinic is here to provide answers regarding nutrition and dietary supplements after weight loss surgery.
What are Bariatric Multivitamins?
Deciding to undergo weight loss surgery, such as gastric bypass, is one of the biggest decisions one can make. Not only is it a life-changing commitment but it is a practice that will add years to life and life to years as patients slowly regain the quality of life that was lost while being overweight. Taking multivitamins can help treat, cure or prevent extra complications that may arise in this situation.
One of the struggles that every patient has when it comes to losing weight and maintaining weight loss is nutrition. Most patients have a complicated relationship with food before surgery and they are just starting to get comfortable after surgery and enjoying weight loss when a new challenge presents itself: malnutrition.
Malnutrition is a common problem with those that have undergone gastric sleeve and gastric bypass surgeries because they are now eating less food and their bodies have a shortened timespan to absorb valuable nutrients. To overcome this challenge doctors recommend vitamin and mineral supplements, but only supplements that are specially formulated for bariatric patients.
The Difference Between Bariatric Multivitamin Capsules and Regular Dietary Supplements
Simply put, the dietary needs between bariatric patients and the general population are different. Before surgery, bariatric patients were eating enough to obtain the vitamins and minerals that they needed through their food. After surgery, they eat far less food while still burning tons of energy in the form of stored fat. This can be a recipe for malnutrition if their specific needs aren’t met.
Bariatric vitamin supplements are specifically formulated to provide vitamins and minerals that are lost in the dietary changes after bariatric surgery. These special vitamins fill in the gaps left by the diet and are more easily absorbed in the shortened digestive tract. Taking these specific vitamins can help surgery patients maintain their quality of life and weight loss as they continue their journey.
Staying Healthy After Weight Loss Surgery
Weight loss surgery can be a shock to the body. Not only is there trauma to the body as a result of the surgery and the recovery time but over the next few months, the body has to make drastic changes to how it processes food and produces energy. Vitamins and minerals are essential to this process, and to prevent any disease that may sneak up from malnutrition.
Vitamins and minerals are needed specifically to help the body produce energy, and that means burning fat. Lacking certain nutrients can lead to stalled progress and discouragement on behalf of the patient. Simply by following recovery procedures, maintaining a healthy diet, and taking bariatric vitamins, patients can enjoy continued weight loss without sluggishness or stalled fat loss.
Common Needs in Daily Bariatric Vitamins and Minerals
Bariatric vitamins have a few key differences from regular over-the-counter multivitamins. Along with the extra health care activities needed, bariatric patients need supplements like:
- Calcium: A common deficiency in bariatric patients, bariatric vitamins contain more calcium than regular vitamins.
- Iron: Iron and calcium supplements interfere with absorption so many doctors prescribe supplements to be taken at a different time.
- Vitamin B12: B12 is a key enzyme for energy production and cell growth so deficiency can lead to all sorts of problems. Bariatric vitamins offer B12 in copious amounts to prevent deficiencies.
- Folate: Necessary for red blood cell production; deficiencies are common in restricted diets.
Always consult a doctor before starting a supplement, it is important for them to diagnose your specific situation. For patients that haven’t had surgery yet, be sure to discuss these options before surgery. Patients that have stalled their progress or aren’t feeling their best should talk to their doctors about adding supplements to replace lost nutrients.
