The Best Vitamins and Supplements To Take After Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery can save your life by helping you lose weight and reducing your chances of heart disease or diabetes. However, it isn’t perfect.

My Fit Foods Bariatric Meal Options

Since your stomach is smaller post-surgery, and, depending on the procedure, the connection between your intestines and stomach has changed. You may now have a hard time processing some of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Thankfully, you can replace them with a series of supplements. Here’s a list of them, put together by the experts at MyFitFoods.

Essential Vitamins and Minerals

After having bariatric surgery, the way that your digestive system works has changed. With a smaller stomach, you’ll have to eat meals that not only contain the right foods (and avoid those filled with sugar and fats to avoid dumping syndrome).

You also need to realize that the changes made to your intestines mean that your body won’t absorb all the vitamins and minerals from your food like it previously did. Without the correct amounts of essential minerals and vitamins, you could end up getting very sick.

For example, some conditions, like scurvy, come from having too little vitamin C in your system. Although you can eat fruits and vegetables that contain the vitamin, it’s one example of a related condition.

As a result, bariatric surgery patients end up adding several supplements to their diets. This is done in several ways, from adding protein powder to smoothies to taking pill-form supplements. You and your doctors need to determine which option works best, but it never hurts to know which of these vitamins and minerals you need.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Bariatric Patients

On top of the drastic dietary changes that bariatric patients need to make, they also need to ensure they’re getting the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) their bodies need.

Some of the most common deficiencies include:

Iron

It’s normal for bariatric patients to end up anemic after recovering from surgery. This is because their digestive systems have difficulty processing iron, which is necessary as it helps the body create red blood cells.

Anemia can cause tiredness, fatigue, headaches, and numerous other symptoms, but it can be treated with an iron supplement. Consider adding one to your daily regimen to avoid the condition.

B12

Another issue is mental fatigue, caused by a lack of vitamin B12. Problems with memory and irritability are two other signs that your body needs more of this vitamin. Like with iron, this deficiency can be treated with a vitamin B12 supplement, although it also appears in most multivitamins (more on them later.)

Vitamin D and Calcium

Your body needs vitamin D and calcium to strengthen your bones. Without plenty of both, you could end up with osteoporosis. This bone disorder causes weakness, making your bones more likely to break.

My Fit Foods Bariatric Meal Options

Over time, it can even affect your posture as your bones weaken further. Thankfully, most calcium supplements also come with vitamin D included in them. Take them according to the instructions on the package (usually two per day) to support healthy bone structure.

Other Vitamins and Minerals

The vitamins and minerals listed above are those most bariatric patients lack after their surgeries are complete. They are the most crucial since iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and calcium all play important roles in your overall health.

On top of them, you may lack several other vitamins and minerals post-surgery, so you might find yourself adding some of these supplements to your daily routine.

Multivitamins

Multivitamins come in many different forms. There are gummies (which aren’t recommended for bariatric patients due to the added sugar) and standard supplements in pill form.

You’ll find some designed for men or women of various ages, such as those for women under 40 or men over 60, as well as plenty of other options. In addition, there are some designed just for weight loss surgery patients.

Since these multivitamins often contain several vitamins and minerals (hence the name “multi” vitamin), they’re a good place to start. You’ll find they have the basics, such as iron, vitamin C, several B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and so on.

The only issue is that since most are designed for the average person, they may not contain the vitamins and minerals that bariatric patients need. As a result, you should stick to specialty multivitamins made for those who’ve had weight loss surgery.

Protein Powder

Although protein is a macronutrient, protein powder is technically a supplement, so it’s included here. To ensure that your body gets enough protein, which you need for energy and general survival, you’ll need to add a protein powder into your daily diet. Consider placing a scoop or two (depending on the package instructions) into your shakes or smoothies.

My Fit Foods Protein Powder options

Zinc and Copper

Both of these minerals play a crucial role in your body’s functioning. Copper provides you with immune system support, as well as energy. Plus, it makes sure that your blood vessels and connective tissues are in optimum shape.

Zinc, on the other hand, helps your body repair itself. Without the proper amount of zinc, those cuts and scrapes end up being bigger issues than they seem. In addition, like copper, it helps boost your immune system and plays a role in cell growth.

Vitamins A and E

Antioxidants like vitamin E help prevent cells from oxidizing or aging too quickly. In addition, this vitamin keeps your organs functioning properly, and, like many others on this list, it assists your immune system.

Without the proper amount of vitamin A in your body, your vision could suffer. Also, this vitamin plays a major role in helping your cells communicate with each other, and it can strengthen your immune system.

Vitamin B1

Also known as thiamin, you need plenty of vitamin B1. If you end up with major deficiencies of this vitamin after your bariatric surgery, it could result in neurological issues that can’t be reversed. Since that sounds scary (and it can be), taking a vitamin B1 supplement is important.

As if that weren’t important enough, thiamin also makes sure that your body’s cells function and grow properly. It even helps your body process carbohydrates and turns them into energy.

Vitamin K

On top of calcium and vitamin D, your bones also need plenty of vitamin K. It strengthens your skeletal system by ensuring your body can regulate the amounts of calcium in it. To simplify that, when you take a calcium supplement, the vitamin K in your body will ensure that the calcium is processed correctly.

In addition to this crucial role, vitamin K also helps your blood clot properly. Without enough vitamin K in your system, you might end up bleeding to death from what seems like a simple wound.

Folate

Folate isn’t just a crucial supplement for pregnant women. Yes, it does play a role in helping the unborn child form and develop properly, but adults need plenty of the mineral as well.

Folate helps your cells function properly, assists with their growth, and ensures that your red blood cells are forming and doing what they should be.