What Are the Best Bariatric Vitamins to Take After Weight-Loss Surgery?
Key takeaways:
Bariatric (weight-loss) surgery can lead to new dietary needs. Vitamin deficiencies can be a common issue, but many supplements are available to help remedy this.
It’s recommended to take certain vitamins after weight-loss surgery, such as a bariatric multivitamin, calcium citrate, and vitamin D.
The best bariatric vitamin(s) for you depend on the type of surgery you had, your lab results, and other medical conditions you might have.
Access savings on related medications
Table of contents
If you or a loved one have overweight or obesity and have tried to lose weight, you’re aware how challenging the process can be.
In some cases, you may decide to pursue bariatric (weight-loss) surgery. There are a few common types of weight-loss surgery, such as a sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and gastric band. These surgeries can help you lose weight. But they also lead to new nutritional needs. This includes taking a few different vitamins.
Here, we’ll talk about vitamins and weight-loss surgery — why it’s important and which vitamins are recommended after surgery.
Save every month on GLP-1 meds with GoodRx
Save an average of $235 on FDA-approved GLP-1s like Ozempic and Zepbound.
Why does weight-loss surgery lead to vitamin deficiencies?
After weight-loss surgery, your stomach and/or small intestine will look a little different. The surgery can help you lose weight, but it can also raise your odds of some nutritional deficiencies. This includes not getting an ideal amount of vitamins and minerals. There are a few possible reasons for this, and the risk varies by surgery type.
Malabsorptive procedures — like the gastric bypass surgery — skip portions of your stomach and small intestine. This is where micronutrient absorption happens. This is the most important factor that affects micronutrients like:
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Folate (folic acid)
Vitamin B12
Iron
Calcium
The risk of micronutrient deficiency is lower in a restrictive surgery, like the gastric band procedure. But this varies based on how restrictive your diet is. Depending on your diet, it’s possible to have a vitamin deficiency.
Some people also have micronutrient deficiencies before surgery, and they can get worse after weight-loss surgery.
What vitamins are typically recommended after weight-loss surgery?
Routine testing for your vitamin needs should be done before and after surgery. This is because specific vitamin needs vary by person and can change over time. But, in general, there are a few vitamins that are necessary for everyone after weight-loss surgery. Commonly recommended ones are discussed next.
Convenience and impact: Discover what to know about weight-loss pills that are FDA approved for use.
Science-backed tips for weight loss: Diet and lifestyle changes — such as a high-fiber diet and sleeping more — can help you lose weight if medications aren’t getting you where you want.
A holistic approach: Combining weight-loss medication with lifestyle changes can improve your chances of success. Here, one person shares how a new diet and mindset helped keep him at his ideal body weight.
Multivitamin
Multivitamins are versatile. They contain individual vitamins and minerals that help supplement your diet. But not all multivitamins are created equal. Different multivitamins have unique ingredients, doses, and quantities.
Some multivitamins are branded (marketed) as bariatric multivitamins. Others aren’t marketed this way, but they contain similar ingredients as bariatric multivitamins. Both are possible options for you to consider.
Generally speaking, bariatric multivitamins are preferred. They can be easier to take than other multivitamins, and they’re specifically made for people who have had weight-loss surgery.
Five examples of bariatric multivitamins include:
Bariatric Advantage Ultra Solo with Iron
Celebrate Bariatric Multivitamin
Opurity Bariatric Multi Chewable with Iron
ProCare Health Once Daily Bariatric Multivitamin Capsule
TwinLab Bariatric Support Chewable Multivitamin
Your nutritionist at your bariatric surgical center will recommend specific multivitamins to fit your needs. The five examples above are just examples — many more are available with unique ingredients and doses.
Most centers recommend taking a liquid or chewable vitamin. This is because for several months after surgery, a large pill can be difficult for your intestines to process. This might get better for you over time, but some people prefer sticking with a chewable or liquid vitamin long term.
Your healthcare team will also suggest avoiding gummy vitamins. Although they’re pleasant to take, they often don’t have iron or other key ingredients. Gummy vitamins also have sugar added for taste purposes.
What if you can’t find a bariatric multivitamin?
Bariatric multivitamins can be hard to get. They usually aren’t available at local pharmacies, so you may have to order them online. Or, you may need to get them from a pharmacy that’s connected to your surgical center. They can also be more expensive than other multivitamins.
If you want or need a different option, you could consider buying a standard over-the-counter (OTC) multivitamin that has similar ingredients. If this is the case, you’ll want to try to find one that helps you meet your nutritional needs. Your nutritionist will let you know if a standard OTC vitamin is an option for you.
Depending on your needs, you should try to find a multivitamin that at least contains the following ingredients:
Folic acid: 400-1,000 mcg
Iron: 18-60 mg
Vitamin A: 5,000-10,000 IU
Vitamin E: 15-20 mg
Vitamin K: 90-120 mg
Vitamin B1 (thiamine): 12-50 mg
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin): 350-500 mcg
Vitamin D: 3,000-6,000 IU
Zinc: 8-22 mg
Copper: 1-2 mg
Compared to a bariatric multivitamin, you may need to take additional vitamins on top of your standard multivitamin to fully account for your nutritional needs. This is especially true for calcium, vitamin D, iron, and vitamin B12. More on this next.
Calcium citrate
A bariatric multivitamin isn’t the only vitamin that you’ll need to take. It’s also recommended to take a calcium supplement.
But there’s a layer of complexity. A specific type of calcium — called calcium citrate — is preferred. This is because your body absorbs it better than the more-common version of calcium (calcium carbonate).
You’ll likely need about 1,500 mg of calcium citrate every day, but it should be divided into 2 to 3 smaller doses throughout the day. You can take this with or without meals.
Vitamin D
If your multivitamin doesn’t have an ideal amount of vitamin D, you may need to also take an additional vitamin D supplement. Calcium and vitamin D are paired together because vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium.
Vitamin D is available as a stand-alone pill and it’s available in combination with calcium.
Iron
If your bariatric multivitamin gives you enough iron, you won’t need to take an extra supplement. But it’s common to need extra iron supplementation — especially if you have anemia or you’re pregnant. It’s also common if a multivitamin doesn’t have much iron in it.
If your multivitamin and diet don’t give you enough iron every day, consider purchasing an iron supplement that’s recommended by your surgery team. Chewable and liquid formulations are go-to options, but they aren’t required. Iron injections are also a possibility.
Importantly, you should separate iron from calcium by at least 2 hours. If calcium and iron are in your stomach at the same time, they can bind to each other and make iron less effective.
Vitamin B12
It’s common to need additional vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) after weight-loss surgery. Similar to iron, you won’t need to take extra vitamin B12 every day if your multivitamin provides enough of it.
But if your multivitamin has less vitamin B12 than desired, vitamin B12 supplementation is recommended. If possible, try to get vitamin B12 as a liquid or as a tablet that dissolves on your tongue (orally disintegrating) or inside your cheek (sublingually). Your body will absorb these better than a typical tablet.
What is an example vitamin schedule?
There are several ways to take your vitamins, depending on your schedule and lifestyle. Your vitamin routine will also depend on your nutritional needs, how long it’s been since you had your surgery, and other medications you take.
Regardless, below is a possible example of what your vitamin routine could look like.
Time | Vitamin |
|---|---|
7:00 AM — Breakfast | Calcium citrate |
12:00 PM — Lunch | Bariatric multivitamin Vitamin B12 (if needed) |
3:00 PM | Iron (if needed) |
6:00 PM — Dinner | Calcium citrate |
What is the most important vitamin to take?
Spoiler alert: There’s not one vitamin that’s the most important. They all supplement your diet to help your body meet its new nutritional needs.
The best bariatric vitamin routine for you will largely depend on your surgery type and results from ongoing lab tests. But other considerations, like medical conditions you may have, also factor into which vitamins you should take.
The vitamins that are most commonly recommended — no matter your situation — are a multivitamin and calcium citrate / vitamin D. You should consider them especially important.
During follow ups with your surgery team, you should have vitamin level tests every 3 to 6 months during your first year after surgery. This is so they can monitor your vitamin needs to make sure that you’re being supplemented properly. After about a year, they may only run these tests annually.
Frequently asked questions
Many reputable bariatric vitamin brands are available to choose from. A few notable examples are Bariatric Advantage, Celebrate Vitamins, and Opurity. They all offer formulations that are appropriate following bariatric surgery. ProCare Health and Bari Life are also highly regarded. Your surgery team can recommend a bariatric vitamin (and brand) that may be best for you.
No, not all bariatric vitamins are the same. Formulations can vary widely in nutrient content, absorption, and quality. Some brands may not meet the recommended levels of essential vitamins and minerals following a bariatric procedure, so it’s important to choose products specifically designed for post-surgery needs.
Some supplements aren’t a good choice following bariatric surgery. For example, gummy vitamins often don’t contain enough recommended nutrients; they aren’t absorbed as well as their tablet or capsule counterparts, either. Vitamin patches also aren’t recommended since they don’t always work reliably. What’s more, calcium carbonate is less ideal than calcium citrate, which your body absorbs better after surgery.
The bottom line
A vitamin routine after weight-loss surgery can be complex. But it’s important that you take these vitamins daily as recommended. Bariatric multivitamins and calcium citrate / vitamin D tend to be especially important, but other ones are important too. Your bariatric team will give you personalized advice about the best bariatric vitamin(s) to take after weight-loss surgery.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. (2021). Life after bariatric surgery.
Cooperman, T., et al. (2018). Why is iron not in many multivitamins? How can I find one that does contain iron? Consumer Lab.
Flancbaum, L., et al. (2006). Preoperative nutritional status of patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2021). Vitamin & mineral supplements for bariatric procedures.
Kaiser Permanente. (2019). Bariatric vitamins: Recommended brands & daily requirements.
Mechanick, J. I., et al. (2020). Clinical practice guidelines for the perioperative nutrition, metabolic, and nonsurgical support of patients undergoing bariatric procedures - 2019 update: Cosponsored by American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists/American College of Endocrinology, The Obesity Society, American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, Obesity Medicine Association, and American Society of Anesthesiologists. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2020). Types of weight-loss surgery. National Institute of Health.
Parrott, J., et al. (2017). American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Integrated Health nutritional guidelines for the surgical weight loss patient 2016 update: Micronutrients. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.
Saurabh, S., et al. (2019). Is transdermal multivitamin patch effective in gastric bypass patients? Obesity Surgery.
Sawaya, R., et al. (2012). Vitamin, mineral, and drug absorption following bariatric surgery. Current Drug Metabolism.
