Taking Care of Nutritional Deficiencies after Gastric Bypass Surgery

It is known that vitamins and minerals are essential to your overall health; The human body does not naturally produce them. Yet, they are needed for many vital processes and functions. 

They regulate energy production, provide the right support for your immune system, directly affect the absorption of nutrients, brain functions, cognitive skills, heart health, and even your mood. 

It is an understatement to say we need the right consumption of vitamins and minerals.

Still, not everyone is getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals from their diet, and this is especially true for those who have undergone Gastric Bypass Surgery. 

Gastric Bypass surgery is an effective treatment for morbid obesity. This surgery helps patients achieve weight loss and improve their quality of life. However, certain medical follow-ups are needed to make sure these patients stay healthy. 

One of the most important follow-ups is to make sure that patients are consuming  the right amount of vitamins and minerals to ensure the success of the procedure and the overall health of the patient. 

In this article, we will talk about why these deficiencies occur, the symptoms of nutritional deficiencies and what we can do to avoid these issues.

Why Do Deficiencies Occur After Weight Loss Surgery?

Before getting into the actual deficiencies that may happen to patients after undergoing bariatric surgeries, we must understand why said deficiencies occur. 

Bariatric Surgeries, such as Adjustable Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy are restrictive procedures because they limit the amount of food that can be ingested, thus causing weight loss.

These surgeries are only recommended and, in some cases, necessary when patients with morbid obesity cannot achieve a healthy weight and lifestyle. This despite having already tried diets, exercises, and medicine. It is important to know these procedures are still quite demanding for the human body. 

Since these procedures limit the amount of food that patients can consume, in some cases, they can also limit proper absorption of them, which leads to weight loss, but can also cause nutritional deficiencies.

After undergoing these kinds of surgeries patients need a healthier, organic, more balanced diet, as well as a more explicit consumption of vitamins and minerals in order to stay healthy.

This is why nutritionists, dieticians, and health professionals recommend ingesting vitamins and minerals through supplements that will provide the amount of nutrients necessary for your body.

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency Symptoms

We already mentioned how vitamins and minerals are essential for the body, especially for Gastric Bypass patients.

That is why after surgery, taking multivitamins may be seen as the best option. 

Be careful, though, since over-the-counter multivitamins do not contain all the necessary nutrients that a patient of Gastric bypass requires.

Many multivitamins fall short despite having a wide range of nutrients. They do not provide the right amount of vitamins, minerals, and protein which Gastric bypass patients need and fail to find in their regular diets.

Even when consuming the planned meals recommended by their doctors, patients might still experience some common deficiency symptoms associated with the lack of minerals, proteins, and vitamins, such as:

• Confusion, digestive problems, loss of appetite, inflammation: Vitamins B1 and B3, Iron.
• Depression, hair loss, lethargy, loss of sensation, and taste: Vitamins B2, B5, B7, Copper, and Zinc.
• Anemia, fatigue, headaches, irritability, dizziness: Vitamins B6 and B12, Folic acid, Iron, and Copper.
• Impaired wound healing, easy bruising, tiredness, joint pains: Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Zinc.
• Insomnia, dermatitis, hair loss, dermatitis, or thickening of skin: Vitamins A, B5,B7,  and Folic Acid.
• Osteoporosis, osteomalacia, brittle nails, delusions, nervousness, cramps, rickets, tooth decay, insomnia, nervousness: Vitamin D, Iron, and Calcium.
• Poor reflexes, Loss of position and vibration senses, shortened red blood cell life, gait disturbances: Vitamin E.
• Growth impairment, high cholesterol levels, pancreatic insufficiency, immune impairment, liver impairment, male sterility: Selenium.
• Bleeding Disorders: Vitamin K.

These are serious symptoms of very real deficiencies, but the good news is that they are also easily avoidable when taking the correct nutritional supplements.

Remember: The success of Gastric Bypass Surgery is measured not only by the weight loss of the patients but also by their overall health and quality of life. Which is why routine checks and reviews of bariatric patients’ health status are vital.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor or health specialist of trust to design a plan for your specific needs.

Where to Find the Appropriate Supplements

In addition to proactively and routinely checking your nutritional needs as a Gastric Bypass patient, nutritionists and health specialists can further support your health by offering options specific to your needs, such as Fusion Soft Chews.

Fusion Soft Chews is a multivitamin designed and formulated specifically for patients of Gastric bypass, following the ASMBS guidelines.

Guidelines that were developed by experienced healthcare professionals to ensure that patients receive all the vitamins and minerals they need in a much higher doses than an average vitamin supplement to avoid nutritional deficiencies.

Fusion Soft Chews is the ideal choice for a daily vitamin and mineral regimen necessary for patients after weight loss surgery. With a delicious berry flavor, it is ideal for taking as a daily treat.