If you are confused about what type of multivitamin to get started on after bariatric surgery, you are not alone! There are many types to choose from including regular pill form, soft chews, chewable, gummies, drinkables, and of course the vitamin patch.
Which Bariatric Vitamin is Best for You?
It can be tempting to choose the easiest one to swallow or the least expensive option, but the question to ask yourself is are you getting the same quality as some of the more expensive labeled “bariatric” vitamins? With our customers at Emerge Bariatrics and fellow patients at Mexico Bariatric Center, we absolutely stress the importance of taking chewable or drinkable bariatric formulated multivitamins. Let's use this chart to help explain why.
Bariatric Vitamin Comparison Chart
|
Emerge Bariatrics Chewable Multivitamin |
Emerge Bariatrics Drinkable Multivitamin |
Centrum Adult Multivitamin |
Centrum Adult Multi-Gummies |
ASMBS Bariatric Vitamin Guidelines | |
|
Serving Size |
2 tablets |
1 scoop |
1 tablet (pill) |
2 gummies |
N/A |
|
Serving per container |
30 servings |
60 servings |
200 servings |
35 servings |
N/A |
|
Price per container |
$27 |
$34.95 |
$14 |
$10 |
N/A |
|
Equivalent Price |
?* |
? |
?* |
?* |
N/A |
|
Sugar |
----- |
----- |
----- |
2 g |
N/A |
|
Vitamin A |
10,000 IU |
5,000 IU |
3,500 IU |
2,000 IU |
5,000-10,000 IU |
| Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin) | 12mg | 6mg | 1.5mg | 0mg | At least 12mg/day |
|
Vitamin C |
180 mg |
90 mg |
60 mg |
30 mg |
At least 12mg/day |
|
Vitamin D3 |
3,000 IU |
2,000 IU |
400 IU |
1,000 IU |
3,000 IU/day |
|
Vitamin E |
60 IU |
30 IU |
30 IU |
40 IU |
15 mg/day |
|
Vitamin B6 |
12 mg |
6 mg |
2 mg |
1.6 mg |
N/A |
| Vitamin K | 120 mcg | 60 mcg | 25 mcg | 0 mcg | 90/120 mcg/day |
|
Folic Acid |
800 mcg |
400 mg |
400 mcg |
160 mcg |
400-800 mcg/day |
|
Vitamin B12 |
500 mcg |
250 mcg |
6 mcg |
10 mcg |
350-500 mcg/day |
|
Biotin |
600 mcg |
300 mcg |
30 mcg |
75 mcg |
N/A |
|
Pantothenic Acid |
20 mg |
10 mg |
10 mg |
6 mg |
N/A |
|
Iodine |
150 mcg |
75 mcg |
150 mcg |
80 mcg |
N/A |
|
Zinc |
30 mg |
15 mg |
11 mg |
5 mg |
8-11 mg/day |
|
Calcium Citrate |
----- |
500 mg |
----- |
----- |
1200-1500 mg/day |
| Iron | 0 mg | 0 mg | 18 mg | 0 mg | 45-60 mg/day |
| Copper | 3 mg | 1.5 mg | .5 mg | 0 mg | 1 mg/day |
* Price calculate assuming that Calcium Citrate is added
Comparing Bariatric Multivitamin Brands
1. Emerge Bariatric Chewables
As you can see these have the highest level of vitamins compared to the others. Two tablets a day will provide everything you need except Calcium Citrate. The cost is $27 for a one month supply. These will be easy for your body to absorb after surgery.
Check out Emerge Bariatric Chewable Vitamins
2. Emerge Bariatric Drinkable Multivitamins
A serving size listed is for one scoop, but you will need to take two scoops to get the same amount of vitamins as the chewable. This is a one month supply having two scoops a day, at $34.95. This will provide the same level as vitamins as the chewable, with the added calcium citrate which is needed after bariatric surgery. So even though this is the most expensive listed price, you are saving yourself the cost of purchasing calcium citrate separately. Drinkable vitamins are also very easy for your body to absorb and are less likely to cause nausea.
Check out Emerge Bariatric Drinkable Vitamins
3. Centrum Adult Multivitamin Pill
Pills are not recommended to take for a minimum of 3 months after bariatric surgery as they may not be absorbed as well depending on the type of procedure. This is especially true of gastric bypass and duodenal switch, as these surgeries tend to cause absorptive issues with many medications. As you can see in the chart, the listed serving is one pill but you would need to take 3 pills (or 3 servings) to get the needed amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc. You would have to take 7.5 pills to get the required amount of vitamin D, and it doesn’t even come close to the same amount of Biotin or Vitamin B12. You would have to take this multivitamin plus several other individual vitamins to get everything you need. At $14 bottle this may seem like the most cost-efficient choice, but you would need to take a minimum of 3 of these to fill SOME of the vitamin requirements, then purchase other vitamins separately. In the end, you are not saving any money unless you are depriving your body of what it needs after this procedure.
4. Centrum Adult Multivitamin Gummies
These may seem enticing because they appear to be inexpensive and usually gummies taste good, but these are the worst option of all! You would need to take a minimum of 5 SERVINGS of gummies a day, which is 10 gummies total, to get the required amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Folic Acid, and zinc. You would have to take additional B12, Biotin, and Calcium Citrate. If you take 5 servings of these, one bottle will last you a week and that $10/month vitamin just turned into a $40/month vitamin, plus the cost of additional vitamins.
In addition, 5 servings of these gummies will add 10 grams of sugar to your daily diet. It is recommended to keep sugar grams under 25g a day, so these vitamins will take almost half of your daily allowance of sugar.
5. Multivitamin Patch
We did not add the patch to the chart for one reason: there is not sufficient research to know for sure if these are really being absorbed by your body or not.
Vitamin D deficiency is seen in 81% RNY patients with multivitamin patch 1 year after bariatric surgery. Is Transdermal Multivitamin Patch Effective in Gastric Bypass Patients?
The patch claims to have high levels of vitamins and averages around $20 for a one month supply. It may sound appealing to avoid having to swallow anything after surgery, especially at a time when you may be experiencing nausea or indigestion.
However, at this critical time for getting sufficient vitamins and minerals to prevent hair loss and major health issues caused by deficiencies, it is not worth taking a chance on a product without sufficient research to back up its effectiveness. There is too much at risk to take such a gamble on your health.
Clinical Trial on Transdermal Multivitamin Supplementation
6. Gummies
Gummies like yummies are often made with sweeteners like much sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Besides, you will have to take several gummy vitamins to be equivalent to one bariatric-specific multivitamin.
According to Kaiser post-bariatric vitamin recommendations:
NO GUMMIE VITAMINS OF ANY KIND AFTER SURGERY!
Conclusion
Bariatric surgery vitamins are formulated and made with all the required ingredients necessary for patients after the procedure. Even though it is possible to acquire the needed components from regular vitamins or even gummies, it is very likely that you will have to take more in quantity and it will end up costing more money overall. You will also end up with extra elements like sugar that your body does not need, and may even derail your weight loss efforts.
Emerge vitamins are manufactured according to the ASMBS (American Society of Bariatric Surgeons) post-bariatric surgery guidelines. The quality and ingradients of Emerge Vitamins are comparable with Bariatric Advantage.
The importance of choosing high-quality vitamins is often overlooked, but this is one of the top decisions you will make to set the stage long-term for a healthy weight loss and recovery after surgery. Deficiencies may take months to develop and a deficiency may not be caught until it’s been without the nutrient for a long period of time.
Over time you may experience symptoms such as depression, fatigue, constipation, and unusual food cravings that most people adapt to and cause the condition to go undiagnosed. This is just an example of some of the symptoms of deficiency that can prevent you from being successful after your procedure.
All in all, we at Emerge Bariatrics want to remind you that vitamins are not a decision to be taken lightly and we encourage you to make an informed decision because you will need to take vitamins for the rest of your life, and although it costs money it is a very important investment in your long-term health.
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