Vitamins and Supplements after Bariatric Surgery

Posted: Sep 22 in Post-Bariatric Diet by Staff

Weight control surgery in Macon is performed on severely overweight or obese individuals. Procedures such as stomach banding use specialized tools decrease the stomach’s capacity to hold food, thereby resulting in significant weight loss. Altering the amount of food intake can make patients more susceptible to nutritional deficiencies following stomach banding weight control surgery. Therefore, post-bariatric patients must take nutritional supplements to ensure adequate intake of nutrients.

• Multivitamin. First and foremost, multivitamins are often taken by bariatric patients to prevent mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Liquid or chewable vitamins will be par for the course during the first few months after your stomach banding surgery.
• Additional Dietary Supplements. Although multivitamins are a great starting point for nutrient supplementation, additional supplements may be required. These include iron, vitamin D and calcium. Often, multivitamins do not contain enough of these vitamins to prevent a deficiency. Iron helps to prevent anemia, vitamin D and calcium help to build strong teeth and bones, and vitamin B-12 boosts metabolism. Most of these supplements are available in chewable forms, and vitamin B-12 can be taken as an injection or in pill form.
• Protein Supplementation. Adequate protein is important for strong muscles and helps aid the healing process, which is especially beneficial after weight control surgery. Post-bariatric surgery patients typically need 60 to 80 grams of protein daily, which can be achieved through high-protein supplements. High-protein supplements can be found in powder form that can be mixed with water, and is helpful during the liquid-diet phase of the post-weight loss surgery diet. While protein supplements are helpful, they should be used in addition to protein ingested from food sources, rather than purely as a substitution.