Multivitamin Info -- Detailed info on Flintstones, Optisource, and Centrum EDITED

Ok.  First off, everyone know my position that Flintstones, in of themselves, make horrible supplementation choices except immediately post-op.  8weeks out and you need to be on grown-up vitamins?

Why?  Well, there are a number of reasons:

1) There aren't the same amount of nutrients in the vitamins as the adult sized.. and the RDA on children's vitamins, is for, you know, children.
2) There aren't the same different nutrients (as in, children's do not have a full complement) between the two.


According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, an ideal multivitamin would be:
 - A high-potency vitamin containing 100% of daily value for at least 2/3 of nutrients (remember that 66% for later.. there is a quiz)
- Choose a complete formula containing at least 18mg iron, 400mcg folate (folic acid), as well as selenium and zinc in each serving
- Individual brands should be reviewed for absorption rate and bioavailablity

Now, these are doctors, nutritionists, nurses, patient educators, and dieticians that have come up with these guidelines.  Don't like them?  Don't blame me, got it?

Now, here's where I'm going to *really **** some people off.. and hey, I'm fine with that.  Your doctor, nurse, PA, nutritionist, and dietician do not walk on water, and are not infallible.  Period.  Noone can know everything.  YES, THAT INCLUDES ME.   Why do I say this?  Do not follow *anyone* (including me) blindly when it comes to your health.  Do not give me "my brilliant surgeon is in a Bariatric Center for Excellence and he went to school and you're just a lowly Viking mama who has too much time on her hand" because I'm going to point out the single (yes one) nutrition class your surgeon took in his, most likely, 3rd year of medical school.

Do not follow your surgeon blindly.  He/She may be the best surgeon in the world.. but they do not know everything.  Got it?  Do your own research, take your health into your own hands and study study study.

So knowing the current (and quite often) debate of Flintstone-only (please note -- people who are only using Flintstones as their vitamin source.. we'll discuss calcium on another day) versus adult vitamins, I put my thoughts to the test.  I made a crappy little chart with pencil and paper (and yes, my hubby was laughing at me as he muttered "Excel.. excel.. excel..." so I could actually compare some vites.

Now, I also know I'm going to hear a few "buts" here:

1) "I'm 6 weeks out and my labs are *perfect*  -- you're stupid and don't know what you are talking about".
 - Well, the body holds onto a store of all micronutrients.. kinda like a rainy-day bank.  When the body doesn't get what it needs, it goes into that storage and makes withdrawals.  That's fine and dandy until you don't have anything left.
 
So Andrea, how long do these reserves last?  -- Glad you asked.  They can last anwhere between 6 weeks and 1 year, depending on the nutrient.  Hell, even calcium will last for years, as long as you still have bones.  Point is, most deficiencies don't even begin to appear until you are over a year post-op.  Period.  End of story.

2) "My friend knows a friend who had surgery 10 years ago, takes Flintstones, and their labs are *perfect*"
 - Really?  I'd really love to see those labs.  I'd like to see labs drawn every 6 months for that duration, cause I can bet there are some trends going down on those lab charts.  "Fine" and "perfect" are relative terms.  You can be within normal range for "normal" people, but for us, that normal range may be critically low.  Lab values only take a look at the established guidelines for normal humans at a specific weight, height, and age.  They do not take in account special needs, such as designer stomachs.  Additionally, looking at that, most docs and nurses only look for things the lab has marked as being off-kilter.. it doesn't look at a number that is steadily dropping and has been for 6 months.. as long as that number is "normal" your labs are "perfect".  I dunnow bout you, but I'd rather catch a problem before it actually, you know, becomes a problem.

Got that crap all taken care of?  Good, let's move on.


I went to wikipedia and got the complete RDA's and compared Optisource Bariatric Vitamins, Centrum Silver Chewables, Centrum Kid's Chewables, Flintstones Complete, and Flintstones Gummies.

The totals now reflect 4 optisource, 2 centrum chewable, 2 centrum kids', 2 flintstones, and 2 flintstone gummies.  You do realize I should have been in bed a few hours ago rather than doing this math, right?


Vitamin A - RDA 3000
Optisource - 7500
Centrum - 8000
Centrum Kids - 7000
Flintstones - 6000
Flintstones Gummy - 4000

Vitamin C - RDA 90
Optisource - 60
Centrum - 150
Centrum Kids - 120
Flintstones - 120
Flintstones Gummy - 120

Vitamin D - RDA 200
Optisource - 400
Centrum - 800
Centrum Kids - 800 
Flintstones - 800
Flintstones Gummy - 400

Vitamin K - RDA 120
Optisource - 160
Centrum - 0
Centrum Kids - 20
Flintstones - 0
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Vitamin B6 - RDA 1.3mg
Optisource - 2000
Centrum - 14
Centrum Kids - 4
Flintstones - 4
Flintstones Gummy - 2

Vitamin E (tocopherol) - RDA 15
Optisource - 0
Centrum - 140
Centrum Kids - 60
Flintstones - 60
Flintstones Gummy - 40

Biotin - RDA 30
Optisource - 150
Centrum - 90
Centrum Kids - 90
Flintstones - 80
Flintstones Gummy - 150

Calcium - RDA 1000
Optisource - 1000 (as carbonate)
Centrum - 400 (as carbonate)
Centrum Kids - 216 (carbonate) 
Flintstones - 200 (dicalcium phosphate)
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Chloride - RDA 2300
Optisource - 0
Centrum - 0
Centrum Kids - 0 
Flintstones - 0
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Chromium - RDA 35mcg
Optisource - 120
Centrum - 200
Centrum Kids - 40
Flintstones - 0
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Choline - RDA 550
Optisource - 0
Centrum - 0
Centrum Kids -  0
Flintstones - 76
Flintstones Gummy - 76

Copper - RDA 900mcg
Optisource - 2mg
Centrum - 4mg
Centrum Kids - 4mg 
Flintstones - 4mg
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Cyanocobalamin (B12)  - RDA 2.4
Optisource - 500
Centrum - 50
Centrum Kids - 12
Flintstones - 12
Flintstones Gummy - 10

Fluoride - RDA 4
Optisource - 0
Centrum - 0
Centrum Kids - 0
Flintstones - 0
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Folate (B9)  - RDA 400
Optisource - 0
Centrum - 1000
Centrum Kids - 800 
Flintstones - 800
Flintstones Gummy - 400

Iodine - RDA 150
Optisource - 150
Centrum - 200
Centrum Kids - 300 
Flintstones - 300
Flintstones Gummy - 80

Iron - RDA 8
Optisource - 30 
Centrum - 0
Centrum Kids - 36
Flintstones - 36
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Magnesium - RDA 420
Optisource - 400
Centrum - 100
Centrum Kids - 80
Flintstones - 40
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Manganese - RDA 2.3
Optisource - 2
Centrum - 9
Centrum Kids - 2 
Flintstones - 0
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Molbdenum -  RDA 45
Optisource - 75
Centrum - 50
Centrum Kids - 40
Flintstones - 0
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Niacin (B3)  - RDA 16
Optisource - 20
Centrum - 24
Centrum Kids - 40
Flintstones - 30
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Pantothenic Acid (B5)  - RDA 5
Optisource - 10
Centrum - 20
Centrum Kids - 20 
Flintstones - 20
Flintstones Gummy - 10

Phosphorus - RDA 700
Optisource - 200
Centrum - 250
Centrum Kids - 100 
Flintstones - 200
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Potassium - RDA 4700
Optisource - 0
Centrum - 0
Centrum Kids - 0
Flintstones - 0
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Thiamin (B1)  - RDA 1.2mg
Optisource - 1.5
Centrum - 4.4mg
Centrum Kids - 3mg
Flintstones - 3mg
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Riboflavin (B2)  - RDA 1.3mg
Optisource - 1.7
Centrum - 5.4 mg
Centrum Kids - 3.4mg
Flintstones - 3.4mg
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Selenium - RDA 55
Optisource - 70
Centrum - 45
Centrum Kids - 0 
Flintstones -  0
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Sodium - RDA 1500mg
Optisource - 20
Centrum - 0
Centrum Kids -  0
Flintstones - 20
Flintstones Gummy - 0

Zinc - RDA 11
Optisource - 30
Centrum - 30
Centrum Kids - 30
Flintstones - 24
Flintstones Gummy - 0


Still with me?  Hello?  Wakeup.  Here's the summary.

Personally, yes, the optisource that requires 4 meets most of the RDA's.. but 2 centrum chewables which are cheaper, btw, provide about the same, if not more than the 4 optisource in several micronutrients. 

This info is for you to make your own decisions.

If you read through all this, that's super.  Give yourself a gold star.  And remember.. it's your health.. noone is going to advocate for you as they should.. it's up to you to be an adult and take charge of your health.

Technically, the serving size is 1 tablet.

Some person is going to just take 1 tablet.

We all know that we *should* be taking more than 1 of anything out there, but I was too damned lazy to go any further.  Sorry.  Maybe another night.  I'm eating dinner now, instead.

I'm sorry but like MM said, optisorce is taken 4 times daily.  so these would be times 4, which are sufficent.  i take my optisource 4 times daily and i am almost a year out, and the only other supp i take is B-12 sublingual, because i believe last night you said you take a b-12 soft gel, and IDK if ur aware but we barely get any b-12 when we digest it, so it is suggested we take a sublingual or an injection.. just fyi

1) I pulled this out in 45 min.  When I've not been up 20 hours, I might do something which will take in account 4 optisource, 2 centrum chewables, etc.  The problem is that there are *freaking morons* that will only take 1 optisource and assume that it's sufficient.  I reach to an idiot audience.

2) I take a b-12 pill.  I've *never* had a b-12 shot.  My last draw was at 936 on 6/1/08.

3) Even without the presence of intrinsic factor, the body will passively absorb between 1-3% of b-12 in the intestinal tract.  Depending on one's physiology, it is perfectly plausible that a post RNY patient (such as myself) can, theoretically live without shots or sublingual b-12 if taken in a high-enough dosage.

Edited by request:

The totals now reflect 4 optisource, 2 centrum chewable, 2 centrum kids', 2 flintstones, and 2 flintstone gummies.  You do realize I should have been in bed a few hours ago rather than doing this math, right?

LOL than go to bed, no one is making you do anything, you decided to do this thread, none of us did.