Bariatric Surgery Supplements

While weight loss surgery can and does change lives for the better, it requires lifelong lifestyle changes. This includes taking supplements of important vitamins and nutrients to stave off deficiencies that can be caused by the surgery.

Some bariatric surgeries — such as gastric bypass, biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) and duodenal switch (BPDDS) — work by malabsorption, meaning that the body blocks the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. This can result in serious nutritional shortfalls. Other restrictive procedures — such as Lap Band — also may cause nutritional shortfalls because people can no longer eat certain types of food and must restrict the volume of those foods that they can tolerate.

Nutritional needs vary based on the individual as well as the type of surgery, but here's a primer on your post-bariatric surgery nutritional needs.

Multivitamins

Most bariatric surgeons will suggest a daily multivitamin after weight loss surgery. However, multivitamins alone may not meet your specific nutritional needs. Talk to your doctor to see if you have to supplement your supplement.

Tip: Chewable and liquid multivitamins are the most easily absorbed, and are recommended after all bariatric surgery procedures. They are also less likely to cause heartburn and ulcers after gastric banding and gastric bypass surgery.

Protein

You must consume sufficient amounts of protein after bariatric surgery. Protein speeds wound healing, preserves lean body mass and enhances fat-burning. Most registered dieticians (RDs) recommend eating high protein foods first to avoid becoming too full, too fast, and not having room later on. Most people need to eat approximately four ounces (or more) of protein each day. Specific recommendations vary. Talk to your doctor or an RD.

Iron

Anemia is common in the months and years following weight loss surgery. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia after bariatric surgery. This risk is heightened after gastric bypass and other malabsorptive surgeries in women who are still menstruating, and in the super-obese (body mass index of 50 or above). Some people may need more than what is found in their multivitamin.

Vitamin B12

Most multivitamins do not contain adequate levels of B12. Some surgeons may suggest (and offer) monthly vitamin B12 shots. Others may recommend 500 micrograms of B12 taken under the tongue (sublingually) daily. These are readily available at many drug stores. Regardless of the form, vitamin B12 may help boost your metabolism, and enhance your weight loss efforts as you begin your life after bariatric surgery.

Folate

Folate or folic acid is another B-vitamin. Folic acid is known to prevent neural tube defects in pregnant women. It also prevents anemia, certain cancers and heart disease. Your multivitamin should contain 400 to 800 micrograms of folate. Ask your doctor if you need more. Foods that are rich in folic acid include leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, berries and melon, dried beans, peas and nuts. Enriched breads, cereals and other fortified grain products also contain folic acid.

Calcium

Calcium is important for bone health. After weight loss surgery, you may be at risk for the brittle bone disease osteoporosis and related fractures. This is a direct result of the nature of the surgeries. To compensate, most surgeons recommend a diet rich in calcium, combined with 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium supplements, split into two doses and taken twice daily. Older women may require more calcium.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D aids the absorption of calcium, which is needed to build strong bones after weight loss surgery. It is known as the sunshine vitamin because the human body produces it only when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D also is added to multivitamins and milk.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to a host of chronic diseases, including certain cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, diabetes, immune system problems and inflammatory diseases. What's more, obesity increases risk of Vitamin D deficiency.

Recommendations for vitamin D supplements are tiered based on blood levels. Most surgeons recommend supplementation starting at 2,000 international units per day. Get tested to see where you stand.

Additional supplements to consider:

People with heart disease can consider Coenzyme Q10
People with joint pain can consider glucosamine
Antioxidant juices like pomegranate, goji, blueberry, acai, etc...
Fish Oil for mood and heart health

Down's Syndrome Natural Treatments

Supplements that may be helpful in people with Down's Syndrome

There is a lot of information available on nutrition and Down Syndrome. I will not attempt to explain the particulars about nutritional abnormalities and deficiencies in people with Down Syndrome, as this type of protocol should be individualized. I do however, want to make a few points. Most of my recommendations focus on adults.

1. Good nutrition is important for everyone. It can impact your energy level, mood, immune system, strength, growth, etc.
2. Putting additives, preservatives, colors, chemicals, excess fats and sugars into your body negatively impacts so much and makes your body work extra hard to process and detoxify. .
3. Individuals with Down Syndrome tend to have a weaker immune system and get colds, infections and viruses at a greater rate and intensity than the general population.
4. Individuals with Down Syndrome tend to have certain nutritional deficiencies.
5. Individuals with Down Syndrome tend to have an excess of free radicals (oxidative stress) in each body cell causing imbalances.
6. Individuals with Down Syndrome tend to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease as early as their 30'S. Alzheimer plaques and tangles in the brain can be helped with antioxidants.

I do not have a particular protocol for patients with Trisomy 21, but I do like to offer vitamin and mineral testing to find and address nutritional gaps. Please discuss any nutritional supplements with your physician.

Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant and immune system enhancer. Antioxidants play an increasingly important role in maintaining health by reducing free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that researchers have linked to no less than 60 diseases and disease processes. By utilizing Coenzyme Q10’s free radical scavenging capability, we may be able to reduce the effects of or actually prevent certain diseases affecting cognitive skills.


Essential Fatty Acids- Two types of fatty acids are considered essential to the human diet. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from the diet. Omega fatty acids support brain and eye development. Researchers link low levels of omega-3 fatty acids to attention problems and learning disabililties. Improvements in immune function, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and constipation have also been seen with essential fatty acid (EFA) supplementation.

Flaxseed Oil (organic cold pressed in the refrigerated section) or Fish Oil (pharmaceutical grade) supplements seem to be the best sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Body bio balance oil- A blend of Omega 3&6 recommended by the changing minds foundation. Most North Americans and Europeans now get far too much of the omega-6s and not enough of the omega-3s. Spectracell does offer a blood test to assess Omega levels prior to supplementation if you want.

Phosphyatidylcholine emulsifies and breaks down fat deposits in the body which makes it an effective prevatative against atherosclerosis, gallstones, heart disease, and liver problems. The most important function of phosphyatidylcholine is that it acts as a supplier of choline which is required to maintain cell membrane integrity. As a component of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, phosphyatidylcholine is essential in maintaining normal brain functioning, particularly in infants. Recent medical research has also linked phosphatidylcholine as a useful treatment to depression, memory loss, and neurological disorders. Each tablespoon (7.5 grams) of lecithin granules contains about 1700 mg of phosphatidyl choline, 1000 mg of phosphatidyl inositol, and about 2,200 mg of essential fatty acids as linoleic acid. It also contains the valuable fish-oil-like, omega-3 linolenic acid. The dose for adults according to changing minds for adults is 1-2 Tbsp (1 Tbsp = 9 pills)


B vitamins- Studies have shown that there is a tendancy in Down syndrome to have low levels of B12 and Folinic (or Folic) Acid. Replacing B12 and Folinic Acid helps to normalize metabolism. Specifically, B12 and Folinic Acid are used in a metabolic cycle called the SAM cycle. The dose of folinic acid recommends ranges between 800-2000 micrograms per day, and B12 1000-2000 micrograms per day.


Ginkgo Biloba has been used in Chinese medicine for about 5000 years. It has no major side effects. If you put Ginkgo Biloba into a search engine, you will see that they say it improves memory by increasing blood flow. Recent research on animals also suggests that Ginkgo works as a GABA antagonist. According to changing minds foundation, the dose is 3mg per pound three times per day

Ashwagandha-Known as a revitalizing tonic for the brain and body, ashwagandha is also a herb becoming recognized for its ability to enhance cognition and rebuild components of the neuronal network in damaged brains.

Several studies have shown zinc and selenium serum levels are decreased among children with Down syndrome.

I haven't seen alot of conclusive studies regarding digestive enzyme and antioxidant supplementation in Down's Syndrome but they are useful in selected cases in people without Down's Syndrome so the usage of these supplements should be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Supplementation for the Elderly

With regard to nutritional status, elderly people are sometimes even more difficult to nourish than teenagers. Many are resentful or rebellious and eat an unbalanced diet consisting of a limited number of foods. Malnutrition is fairly common in the elderly, with low calorie and protein intakes, as well as many deficiencies of important vitamins and minerals. Many elders eat less because of such reasons as apathy, diminished sense of taste and smell, poor teeth, low income, or inability to obtain or prepare foods, and they further have reduced digestion and absorption, which makes their intake needs even higher than usual. The government RDAs become relatively meaningless for the elderly; they simply need more nutrients!

Many old-age problems, such as insomnia, anorexia, fatigue, depression, diminishing eyesight and hearing, fragile bones, and fractures, are a result of poor diets and nutritional deficiencies. This can also lead to a weakened immune system and more infections. The thymus gland, which produces the important T lymphocytes that mediate the cellular immune system and help to regulate antibody formation, tends to diminish in activity with aging—especially with a low vitality diet, living under stress, and possible emotional factors, such as loss of friends and relatives, anxieties of aging and loneliness, and depression—thus leading to problems of weakened resistance, infections, and sometimes cancer. Tissue weakness due to lack of cellular support can lead to decreased skin protection and increased aging of the skin.

Many people know that, as the years pass, our bodies slowly break down and become more fragile. Decades of wear and tear on our bodies stress out our joints, weather our muscles and make us susceptible to developing or contracting a variety of conditions and diseases.

However, while the effects of aging are inevitable, we can take steps to limiting the damage and living a healthy life as a senior. Along with moderate exercise (about 30 minutes daily), eating healthy and getting the proper nutrition is key to staying active and healthy during the later years of life.

Prevention through Nutrition
While eating healthily is essential to staying active, getting the proper nutrients is also key to warding off certain health problems that tend to affect the elderly. Some of the conditions that proper nutrition can help prevent include:

abnormal blood clotting
arthritis
cancers
cataracts and other eye disorders
circulatory problems
dementia
heart disease
insomnia
osteoporosis
Parkinson's disease.

Accumulating scientific research shows that the simple addition of nutritional supplements into a daily routine can provide significant health benefits for the elderly—such as potentially cutting in half the total number of days they are sick. A comprehensive new report released by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) found that consistent use of multivitamins with minerals and such single-nutrient supplements as calcium and antioxidants (vitamins C and E) demonstrated substantial positive impact on the immune systems of elderly people and played a key role in protecting eye and brain function and maintaining bone mass.

The 100-plus page report—titled The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements—reviewed more than a decade’s-worth of the most scientifically-significant studies measuring the health benefits of multivitamins and other nutritional supplements, including antioxidants (vitamins C and E), calcium, long chain omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils), vitamin D, vitamins B-6 and B-12, and folic acid. The quantifiable impact of supplementation for the elderly was a consistent theme throughout the report.

Research has found that while many Americans’ diets are deficient in the intake of critical nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and vitamin E, these deficiencies are far more common and pronounced among the elderly. In some studies, as many as 80% of subjects had inadequate intakes of four or more key nutrients.
• Elderly people residing in nursing homes are typically at even greater risk of unrecognized inadequacies of vitamins and minerals. While other nutritional problems commonly observed in the nursing home environment may be difficult to remedy, researchers have recognized the value of supplements in avoiding major “nutrition gaps.”
• Maintaining bone density is an area of particular importance for elderly women and men alike. One top researcher in the field estimates that proper supplementation with calcium and vitamin D in the elderly could reduce the rate of hip fracture by at least 20%—meaning 40,000 to 50,000 fewer hip fractures each year in the United States—for an average annual savings of $1.5 to $2 billion.

There is growing scientific evidence of the positive impact of antioxidants (vitamins C and E) on both eye and brain function. Studies have linked antioxidants with a reduced risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 65 in the United States and other Western countries. Other research has found that use of vitamin C and E supplements had a significant protective effect in reducing the risk of dementia, as well as in improving overall cognitive function.

Resveratrol, has a widespread influence on the genetic influences on ageing and there had been high hopes that it would extend lifespan too.
Scientists report that it wards off the effects of age on heart, bones, eyes and muscle of mice on a standard diet, promising a way to curb the factors that make the elderly frail, such as osteoporosis, cataracts, and poor motor coordination. But there was no effect on longevity observed in lean mice. The supplement that contains antioxidants, Vitamins C, E and Resveratrol is Acai/Resveratrol/Macqui- (Antioxidant Formula)

The goji berry contains powerful antioxidants that slow down the aging process, strengthens the immune system and the heart, and has been used to treat ADD/ADHD, allergies, athletic performance, cancer, chronic fatigue, HIV, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia and anxiety. It contains essential amino acids, vitamin C, vitamin E, Omega 6 fatty acid, Linoleic acid, B-complex vitamins, and more beta-carotene than any other substance on earth, including carrots. Study groups in Asia performed the first scientific research on Goji Berries. In these studies, which are being replicated in America and Europe, elderly subjects were given the berries once a day. 67 percent of the subjects were found to have doubled white-cell counts, increasing greatly in their immune system. Appetite improved among 95 percent of the subjects, 95 percent reported more restful sleep, and 35 percent reported increased sexual energy.




Ginkgo has been used in traditional medicine to treat circulatory disorders and enhance memory. Scientific studies throughout the years have found evidence to support these uses. Although not all studies agree, ginkgo may be especially effective in treating dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) and intermittent claudication (poor circulation in the legs). It also shows promise for enhancing memory in older adults. Laboratory studies have shown that ginkgo improves blood circulation by dilating blood vessels and reducing the stickiness of blood platelets.
In addition to Ginkgo, Octovite contains lutein and bilberry. This is beneficial for the elderly with poor eye health looking to better their vision. Lutein, a powerful antioxidant, is a carotenoid that cannot be produced naturally by the body. Lutein can be found in most fruits and vegetables. A lutein supplement might be for you if you do not consume enough fruits and vegetables.

Combined with bilberry, lutein has been known to prevent/treat cataracts and macular degeneration. If you or your loved one are struggling with your eye sight, Octovite with Lutein and Bilberry is for you.


Dark green vegetables are definitely super foods for the body, in large part due to the antioxidant content. Green Cell Therapy is a green product designed toward flushing out toxins. It also delivers a high antioxidant blend which helps alkalize and energize the body. Green Cell therapy also contains lactobacillus (probiotics). Elderly people should take probiotic supplements, according to scientists. They said the drinks, yoghurts or capsules could help protect older people against bowel conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). People over 60 have about 1,000-fold less "friendly" bacteria in their guts compared with other adults.
Green Cell Therapy also contains 32 important ingredients including astragalus, coenzyme Q 10, chlorella, barley grass, and royal jelly to boost immune system function.