Question:
How much do we absorb

I had open RNY Juley 18,2003 and I am down 61pounds. My question is do we absorb all the calories we take in? If not what percentage do we absorb? Thanks for your answers! Cynthia Marshall    — cindylou56 (posted on October 19, 2003)

October 19, 2003
There are currently no studies that document how much we absorb of what we eat...doctors and nutritionists give it an educated guess. It is highly recommended that you assume you absorb half of the nutritional value of foods and all of the calories. Good luck!
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 19, 2003
I believe the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland is currently doing nutritional studies to look at how fast different nutrients are absorbed after eating. Their website is OHSU.edu. You can also go to the National Library of Medicine, Medline, and do a search of any research studies that have been done.
   — Gottahaveit I.

October 19, 2003
For many RNY's, the operation is intended to be non-malabsorptive; not enough of the intestine is bypass (even with the Roux limb) to significantly limit the number of receptors that are available to process calories and nutrition. Consequently, as Ruth pointed out, assume that you are going to absorb every calorie (and carbohydrate you ingest); also, because food may not be as well-digested in our smaller pouches, you should always plan on trying to get in more of the necessary nutrients than are required of people with "normal" plumbing. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi