Are you taking your vitamins and minerals?

Cynthia Buffington, Ph.D.

Silhouette

Reduced calorie intake plus malabsorption with gastric bypass can produce vitamin/mineral deficiencies.  Such deficiencies, if left unattended, may cause health problems including bone loss, anemia, neurological defects, crippling, depression, confusion, loss of memory, and even death.

Deficits in nearly all vitamins and minerals may occur during the first year postoperatively – the time of low calorie intake and rapid weight loss.  Even when a normal diet is resumed, there continues to exist a risk for vitamin/mineral deficiencies due to surgical alterations of the gut.   

Deficiencies of certain nutrients may worsen with time post-surgery.  Iron, for instance, is poorly absorbed after surgery because the area of the gut where absorption normally occurs is bypassed.  Studies, including our own, have found that iron levels progressively decline postoperatively in patients not on supplementation.  The potential risk for Vitamin B12 deficiency is also life-long and deficits in B12 may appear 5, 10, or even 20 years post-surgery.

The gastric bypass patient must, therefore, take vitamin and mineral supplements for LIFE.   However, our recent studies found that only 50% of our patients are taking dietary supplements daily and that many patients are ignoring the need for additional calcium and iron. 

Our most shocking research finding had to do with low numbers of individuals not taking vitamins/minerals during the most rapid weight loss period (6 months).  Only 23% of our youngest patient population (15-34 years) and less than 50% of all patients reported taking daily multivitamin supplements during this high risk postoperative period.   Furthermore, we found that the majority of patients fail to take vitamin/mineral supplements one, two, three years or more following surgery. 

Are you taking your supplements daily?  Gastric bypass has improved or cured your diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, infertility, or psychosocial status.  Why jeopardize your renewed health by not taking your vitamins and minerals?  Please, for long-term health and well-being, remember to take your vitamins and minerals NOW and FOR LIFE. 

(Due to the high numbers of individuals not taking dietary supplements, this column will discuss in the upcoming issues what vitamin and mineral deficiencies may occur with gastric bypass, the symptoms of such deficiencies, the short- and long-term health consequences, treatment and prevention).