Question:
How much DO we absorb?

I had RNY in Dec 2001 and I know that an issue for me is malabsorbtion. What I want to know is this: if I am taking in 80g of protien, how much is my body absorbing? Certainly not all 80g, right? What about the other foods we eat, are we not absorbing all the nutrients there? Does our body start absorbing more as time goes by?    — janetlynne69 (posted on April 10, 2002)

April 10, 2002
It all depends on how much intestine was bypassed. I was told on this site as a nebie post-op that I wouldn't absorb hardly anything from food (like milk) and it really freaked me out. When I asked my surgeon, he said that because he didn't bypass hardly any intestine that I still absorb everything on the label. So, my advice is to ask your surgeon, he is the only one that can answer it in YOUR individual case.
   — Angela B.

April 10, 2002
Best way to find out what you're absorbing is to get bloodwork done regularly. Get copies of your reports and compare them to each other to see how your levels are. If you are in normal range, keep doing what you're doing. If not, supplement appropriately. Don't take your doc's word for it. Get copies for your own piece of mind. If your body starts absorbing more as you go along, it will show up in your lab work (i.e., levels will be higher). The reverse is also true. Good luck and God Bless!
   — Kimberly L.

April 10, 2002
The elements that are malabsorbd with loss of stomach function are: protein, iron, calcium, A, D, E, zinc & B12. At least, maybe a couple others. It depends on the vehicle for each, how much you absorb. If it is one that does not require digestion, such as protein supp, then you'll get a much higher % of it. If you took ferrous SULFATE, you'd not absorb much, but might get a higher % of a bettr iron. Calcium carbonate is at 0, but calcium citrate will be a higher %. The degree of your bypass counts for or against you AFTER the food has been digested. No digestion slows absorption tremendously. Now for me, I do not WANT to absorb any more. If I do, I will gain. I try to keep my nutrition level high so that my body will not attempt to normalize any more than it's going to anyway.
   — vitalady