Why Over-the-Counter Vitamins May Not Be Enough After Bariatric Surgery

We all have heard this dialogue ‘chhota packet bada dhamaka’. I always relate this to our micronutrients, ‘Vitamins and Minerals’, we all need them in tiny amounts in our diets for our bodies to function properly, but their insufficient intake may lead to bigger troubles. We need them in adequate amounts every day, so no questions ‘kab tak khane padenge??’.

What is Over the Counter Vitamins?

When you eat a well-balanced diet consisting of different varieties of foods you get most of them in reasonable amounts. Though, if you are deficient, unable to eat enough, or undergoing some health condition like covid, pregnancy, lactation, surgical, or medical recovery, then your demands are higher and you may need to supplement your diet with vitamin pills to bridge the gaps. However, there is no standard definition for a multivitamin supplement, hence, there are many brands and varieties available in the market known as over the counter (OTC) multivitamins.

Managing Nutritional Needs After Bariatric Surgery

People who undergo bariatric surgery are already low in vitamins and minerals, the most commonly seen are iron, vitamin D, calcium, Vitamin B1, and B12. After undergoing bariatric or weight loss surgery, they become more prone to develop nutritional deficiencies, due to limited food intake and malabsorption associated with different surgical procedures. Together these factors can very much affect your vitamins and minerals status. Since the absorption of vitamins and minerals is dependent on your surgery type, you need those vitamin and mineral supplements that are specially designed for bariatric surgery candidates. Bariatric-specific pills are better absorbed as these contain bariatric-friendly salts, cause less irritation to your stomach and intestines, and help prevent vitamin deficiencies better than over-the-counter multivitamins.

Many bariatric brands are available in the market, though not all are created equally, so be sure to discuss with your bariatric surgeon/dietician the most suitable bariatric supplement for you and always remember that over-the-counter vitamins do not provide adequate potency and salts of nutrients to prevent deficiencies in post-bariatric surgery candidates.

Conclusion

Bariatric multivitamin tablets bridge the gap that might be missing in your daily diet to optimize your health. It’s important to take suggested vitamin and mineral supplements to stay hale and hearty in the long term.

If you are looking for bariatric surgery in Delhi, we at Smart Cliniqs offer the best bariatric surgery in Delhi.