64 Part I: Eating Right with Every Bite
about 600 milligrams at once, so calcium supplements usually come in
500 to 600 milligram doses. As such, you need to divide your doses — one in
the morning and one at night. (And if you need more calcium, another one
in the afternoon.) To maximize absorption, take your calcium supplements a
couple of hours before or after your multivitamin supplement.
Your supplement regimen may look something like this:
✓ 8 a.m. calcium supplement
✓ 10 a.m. multivitamin supplement
✓ 8 p.m. calcium supplement
✓ 10 p.m. multivitamin supplement (if you have had bypass surgery)
Other supplements
Your surgeon will tell you what other vitamin and mineral supplements you
require and when to take them. The following list gives you an overview of
the three most commonly needed supplements:
✓ Vitamin B12: You absorb vitamin B12 when stomach acid releases it
from protein foods. Because after surgery you don’t have as much acid
production and you’re eating less protein, you may be at risk of a vitamin
B12 deficiency. B12 supplements come in a sublingual (under the
tongue) form, which is better absorbed than a pill. Alternatively, your
surgeon may give you injections of B12.
✓ Iron: Dietary iron comes in two forms:
- Heme iron is found in animal protein and is easily absorbed.
- Nonheme iron is found in many vegetables, fruits, whole grains,
and nuts as well as in meat, but it’s not as well absorbed as heme.
Iron deficiency can result in fatigue and lethargy. No one wants that,
right? It is fairly common in menstruating women and adolescents.
Avoid drinking a lot of tea, because the tannins in tea decrease the
absorbability of iron. To increase your natural absorption of nonheme
iron, have some form of vitamin C (citrus fruits, tomato, peppers) at
each meal. Iron supplements come in tablet or capsule form and should
be taken two hours before or after your calcium supplement.
✓ B complex vitamins: B complex vitamins, also called B50 complex,
include many B vitamins that are found in a variety of foods including
whole grains, fruits and vegetables, meats, and dairy. They’re important
in helping your body use carbohydrates, and they play a role in appetite
control. Deficiencies of some of the B vitamins, like thiamine, can result
in neurological symptoms, some of which may be irreversible. The
B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning they are not retained for long
lengths of time in your body, and must be replaced frequently.
