Bariatric Vitamins & Foods

Do I need to take vitamins after having a bariatric surgery procedure, and if so what should I be taking?

This is a common question among people who are considering (or have had) bariatric weight-loss surgery. It's true that most physicians recommend vitamin supplementation after a bariatric surgeries. This is especially the case with the gastric bypass, which is a malabsorptive type of surgery.

For example, many patients of bariatric surgery have trouble absorbing iron and calcium after their surgery. So when doctors and nutritionists recommend bariatric vitamin supplementation, these two items are often high on the list. Deficiencies in vitamins A, D, E and K are also cited in some post-surgery patients.

Vitamin Wisdom

Here is some more information about bariatric vitamins from around the web:

"Menstruating women may develop anemia [after gastric bypass] because not enough vitamin B12 and iron are absorbed. Decreased absorption of calcium may also bring on osteoporosis and related bone diseases ... Patients must take nutritional supplements" -Source

"Gastric bypass essentially results in surgically enforced, very low-calorie, low-carbohydrate dietary intake, thus requiring attention to adequate (>0.5 g/kg) daily protein intake. Micronutrients, including calcium, vitamin B-12, folate, multivitamins, thiamine, and iron (for menstruating female subjects), must be supplemented after gastric bypass." -Source

"After gastric bypass procedures, patients are prone to deficiencies of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and calcium. In addition, these patients have an increased risk of developing anemia secondary to potentially inadequate amounts of iron, vitamin B12, and folate. Because of these deficits, all patients should receive a daily multivitamin and calcium supplementation indefinitely." -Source

Also see: Patient's Guide to Bariatric Vitamins