Journal Article

Effectiveness of B Vitamin Supplementation Following Bariatric Surgery: Rapid Increases of Serum Vitamin B^sub 12

Moore, Carolyn E, Sherman, Vadim

2015

Overview

Few prospective studies have compared changes of nutrient intake while assessing effectiveness of thiamin, vitamin B^sub 12^, and folate supplementation to prevent B vitamin deficiencies immediately following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Therefore, we determined the response to 3 months supplementation on maintaining blood B vitamin concentrations. Women undergoing RYGB (n=11) and SG (n=11) consumed bariatric vitamin supplements (12 mg thiamin, 350 [mu]g vitamin B^sub 12^, 800 [mu]g folic acid) daily for 3 months. Height, weight, body mass index, and blood vitamin concentrations were measured preoperatively and at 3 months. Wilcoxon signed-rank analyses compared body weight parameters, laboratory indices, and nutrient intake at baseline and 3 months. Supplementation for 3 months maintained blood thiamin, increased serum folate from 13.1±5.4 to 16.3±6.0 nmol/L (P=0.049), and increased serum vitamin B^sub 12^ concentrations from 498±150 to 736±340 pg/mL (P=0.005). Dietary intake of thiamin and folate decreased in the combined surgical groups, while dietary intake of B^sub 12^ was maintained. Bariatric B vitamin supplements provided multiple intakes of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (1090 % thiamin, 14,583 % vitamin B^sub 12^, 200 % folate). Although energy intake decreased 64 %, B vitamin supplementation for 3 months resulted in a 48 % increase of serum vitamin B^sub 12^, a modest increase of serum folate, and no reduction of blood thiamin concentrations. Long-term effects of the rapid rise of serum B^sub 12^ levels attributed to the high content of supplements warrant further investigation.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Dietary supplements / Effectiveness / Gastrointestinal surgery / Vitamin B