If you have undergone bariatric surgery, congratulations. You’ve taken a huge step in improving your health and appearance. However, to be successful in the long term, undergoing weight loss surgery means that you will need to be taking vitamins for the rest of your life because of the way that your anatomy has been altered. Otherwise, your mood and energy levels will be low.
Importance of Vitamins
Before your surgery, you were likely getting most of the vitamins that your body needed by eating normally. After bariatric surgery, the size of your stomach will be smaller. As a result, you’ll need to make sure that each meal packs a nutritional punch, which means supplementing with vitamins.
Some vitamins that you should be taking after your weight loss surgery include:
Thiamine
Also known as vitamin B1, thiamine has an important role in processing your food so that it is efficiently converted into energy, helping maintain your mood and energy levels. If you are deficient in thiamine, you may be experiencing symptoms like:
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Insufficient sleep
- Abdominal discomfort
Without thiamine, your body may have a difficult time processing carbs and sugars, potentially leading to nerve damage over time.
The best form of thiamine for most people is known as benfotiamine, which is a special type of thiamine that more easily penetrates nerve cells and has a greater, longer-lasting bioavailability compared to regular thiamine.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 helps your body maintain its central nervous system and create new red blood cells. If you are deficient in B12, you may experience symptoms like lightheadedness, weakness, muscle tingling and nerve damage.
Vitamin D and Vitamin K
Vitamin D and calcium are both obtained from dairy products, but you can also supplement them. Although most people get more than enough calcium, they may not be absorbing enough. Vitamin D assists your body in fully absorbing calcium. Vitamin D in the form of vitamin D3 will ensure that your body absorbs the calcium that you consume.
Some people are able to absorb calcium, but it is deposited in the wrong places. To ensure that your body absorbs calcium and deposits it in places like your teeth and bones, instead of calcified blood vessels, take vitamin K along with your vitamin D3. A form of vitamin K called vitamin K2 will act as a sort of “traffic cop” to direct all of that calcium to where it is needed in your body.
Vitamin Types
Vitamins are available in a variety of forms, such as tablets, capsules, gel caps, and more. In the first six months or so after your weight loss surgery, consider taking your vitamins in the form of a liquid, gel or capsule. Taking them this way will help to improve their absorption.
The Bottom Line
Undergoing weight loss surgery is one of the best things that you can do for your health and appearance. But you must also supplement with vitamins to obtain the very best benefits from your surgery and ensure that your health is not compromised. Develop a habit of taking your vitamins each day and stick to it to enjoy healthy, safe weight loss.