Andrea's thoughts on Vitamins for Bandsters
This is from a post I was asked to go help on in the lap band forum. Since we have a ton of bandsters, and I get asked this question often, I thought I would XP it over here.
Someone asked me to come over and give my opinion. Know that they only wish the best for you in this request.
Know two things as well:
1) I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, medical professional (except patient) -- nor will I ever claim to be. I'm simply a mom *****ads on vitamins about 2 hours each day and keeps up with current stuff that apparantly docs don't even do;
2) I'm an RNY'er who got into a vitamin deficiency mess because I didn't pay attention to my supplements (and thus why I study so much these days).
With the above said, here's my take on vitamins, even for a bandster.
1) Children's vitamins are for kids. Period. I totally get that you need a chewable vitamin. Alot of RNY'ers do for life as well. That's cool. However, alot of offices recommend flintstones for some unknown reason -- especially since Centrum makes a chewable adult multivite readily available at your local Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, or grocery store.
There is *no* reason an adult should be taking a flintstones vitamin when there are adult alternatives available. The formulations are different. While some of the values might eventually equate (and keep in mind, an adult dose is 2 a day; 1 flintstone is the dose for my 25lb toddler), the actual composition varies. There are multiple forms of many of the vitamins. For example, A can be as beta-carotene, retinol acetate, retinol palmitate, or others. Bodies of different sized humans will convert these different nutrients differently. There are several others (vitamin D has two major forms, although people are *finally* wising up to D3 rather than D2 thanks, in part, to Dr. Oz preaching about it often) that have these various forms that eventually convert to the same vitamin. The really hard thing to get is that supplements don't always tell you which form is making up each type of vitamin, and even then, the RDA's vary based on that fact. Using vitamin A as an example, it takes 14 IU of beta carotene to equal 1 mcg of retinol. But it takes far less for palmitate or acetate to get to the same level.
As for gummy vitamins? They are crap. Pure crap. I just did a comparison of them. They are on my blog. They are expensive candy. I don't even give them to my child.
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons published a report by several bariatric nutritionists. They recommend one adult multivite for band patients.
2) Calcium citrate, while not readily available in chewable form, is the best calcium available on the market in terms of bioavailability and cost. Period.
Calcium citrate has been proven in case studies to be 27% more bioavailable in post-menopausal women with normal guts. If it were me trying to decide whether I wanted the convience of getting my chewable calcium from Target or keeping my bones, I'm gonna have to go with bones. They tend to cost less in the long run than either getting the good stuff off the inet, dissolving in some crystal light, or making a trek to vitamin world and getting their twinlabs wafers.
The ASMBS recommends 1500 mg per day of supplemented calcium citrate.
3) Unless you are anemic, you probably don't need extra iron other than what is in your multivitamin. For bandsters, this needs to be regulated by blood tests alone -- RNY'ers should get this off the bat.. not y'all.
4) B-complex will only benefit you. Yeah, they stink, don't taste good, and can turn your urine green. However, if you are pukey (and I've heard that to be quite common), it's *veryveryveryvery* easy to become B1 (thiamin) deficient. Thiamin deficiency is serious crap. Permanent neurological damage serious crap. Coma type serious crap. Even death. It's worth taking the 1 a day to make sure you don't suffer irreversible damage.
Now, yeah, I'm an RNY'er. I get that. But I also know that normal guts and my guts will react similarly in some situations (like the calcium). So take the info as you wish -- and if you (or anyone else) have any questions, I'd be happy to try and help. I can't answer crap about your band, but I'll bend over backwards to try and get you info about nutrition.
Someone asked me to come over and give my opinion. Know that they only wish the best for you in this request.
Know two things as well:
1) I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, medical professional (except patient) -- nor will I ever claim to be. I'm simply a mom *****ads on vitamins about 2 hours each day and keeps up with current stuff that apparantly docs don't even do;
2) I'm an RNY'er who got into a vitamin deficiency mess because I didn't pay attention to my supplements (and thus why I study so much these days).
With the above said, here's my take on vitamins, even for a bandster.
1) Children's vitamins are for kids. Period. I totally get that you need a chewable vitamin. Alot of RNY'ers do for life as well. That's cool. However, alot of offices recommend flintstones for some unknown reason -- especially since Centrum makes a chewable adult multivite readily available at your local Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, or grocery store.
There is *no* reason an adult should be taking a flintstones vitamin when there are adult alternatives available. The formulations are different. While some of the values might eventually equate (and keep in mind, an adult dose is 2 a day; 1 flintstone is the dose for my 25lb toddler), the actual composition varies. There are multiple forms of many of the vitamins. For example, A can be as beta-carotene, retinol acetate, retinol palmitate, or others. Bodies of different sized humans will convert these different nutrients differently. There are several others (vitamin D has two major forms, although people are *finally* wising up to D3 rather than D2 thanks, in part, to Dr. Oz preaching about it often) that have these various forms that eventually convert to the same vitamin. The really hard thing to get is that supplements don't always tell you which form is making up each type of vitamin, and even then, the RDA's vary based on that fact. Using vitamin A as an example, it takes 14 IU of beta carotene to equal 1 mcg of retinol. But it takes far less for palmitate or acetate to get to the same level.
As for gummy vitamins? They are crap. Pure crap. I just did a comparison of them. They are on my blog. They are expensive candy. I don't even give them to my child.
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons published a report by several bariatric nutritionists. They recommend one adult multivite for band patients.
2) Calcium citrate, while not readily available in chewable form, is the best calcium available on the market in terms of bioavailability and cost. Period.
Calcium citrate has been proven in case studies to be 27% more bioavailable in post-menopausal women with normal guts. If it were me trying to decide whether I wanted the convience of getting my chewable calcium from Target or keeping my bones, I'm gonna have to go with bones. They tend to cost less in the long run than either getting the good stuff off the inet, dissolving in some crystal light, or making a trek to vitamin world and getting their twinlabs wafers.
The ASMBS recommends 1500 mg per day of supplemented calcium citrate.
3) Unless you are anemic, you probably don't need extra iron other than what is in your multivitamin. For bandsters, this needs to be regulated by blood tests alone -- RNY'ers should get this off the bat.. not y'all.
4) B-complex will only benefit you. Yeah, they stink, don't taste good, and can turn your urine green. However, if you are pukey (and I've heard that to be quite common), it's *veryveryveryvery* easy to become B1 (thiamin) deficient. Thiamin deficiency is serious crap. Permanent neurological damage serious crap. Coma type serious crap. Even death. It's worth taking the 1 a day to make sure you don't suffer irreversible damage.
Now, yeah, I'm an RNY'er. I get that. But I also know that normal guts and my guts will react similarly in some situations (like the calcium). So take the info as you wish -- and if you (or anyone else) have any questions, I'd be happy to try and help. I can't answer crap about your band, but I'll bend over backwards to try and get you info about nutrition.
Thanks Andrea,
I am surprised you didn't discuss Vitamin C. What's your take on it? I am taking B 12 dots - what do you think about it??
I have taken all your vitamin tidbits - copied and have them in a book with my lapband info. I have not had extensive labs drawn yet, however, when I go to the doctor (my pcp) in December, I plan to request it at that time.
Once again, Thanks for your diligent research and posts.
Shelia
I am surprised you didn't discuss Vitamin C. What's your take on it? I am taking B 12 dots - what do you think about it??
I have taken all your vitamin tidbits - copied and have them in a book with my lapband info. I have not had extensive labs drawn yet, however, when I go to the doctor (my pcp) in December, I plan to request it at that time.
Once again, Thanks for your diligent research and posts.
Shelia
Taking either isn't going to hurt you. However, you probably don't need to take either unless you become anemic.
Vitamin C, while it does help boost the immune system, is taken in WLS patients to help absorb iron.
B-12, which requires Intrinsic Factor (which you have a full complement of) in order to process from foods. Most folks have no issues getting their B-12 -- just those who have IF issues. B-12 is vital in the absorption of iron, though.. so if you are anemic, B-12 should be taken as well to help that absorption.
Vitamin C, while it does help boost the immune system, is taken in WLS patients to help absorb iron.
B-12, which requires Intrinsic Factor (which you have a full complement of) in order to process from foods. Most folks have no issues getting their B-12 -- just those who have IF issues. B-12 is vital in the absorption of iron, though.. so if you are anemic, B-12 should be taken as well to help that absorption.
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