Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. The latest report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that 39.8% of the American population is obese, amounting to a total of 93.3 million obese Americans.
In recent years, bariatric surgery has become an increasingly popular weight loss treatment. Although many people opt for the surgery to lose weight, the surgery is not without consequences.
A frequently observed after-effect from bariatric surgery is nutrient malabsorption, which hinders post-operative recovery and poses long-term health risks. Sometimes after surgery, the body can no longer absorb essential nutrients and patients may benefit from IV therapy to fully heal or tomaintain essential nutrient levels in the body.
Bariatric Surgery—the Pros and Cons
Gastric bypass, adjustable gastric bands, biliopancreatic diversions, and sleeve gastrectomy are among the most common forms of bariatric surgery.
The procedures are effective for weight loss in the long-term, but are also very invasive. Many patients report hormonal imbalance, post-surgical complications and nutrient deficiencies.
As a result of the surgery, these individuals often require supplementary nutrition. Bariatric surgery patients have to adhere to strict dietary and lifestyle recommendations, and depend on mineral and vitamin supplementation.
The Essential Nutrients and Why You Need Them
Although the human body is well-equipped to maintain metabolism, essential nutrients aren’t always efficiently absorbed by the body. For this reason this vital nutrients may need to be supplemented.
Essential nutrients can be divided into two major categories: the micronutrients and the macronutrients. Your body requires small amounts of micronutrients—such as vitamins and minerals—and large amounts of macronutrients—such as carbohydrates, fat, and protein.
Here’s how these nutrients affect your health:
1. Protein: 16% of the human body is protein, helping with cell development and tissue repair. Production of hormones, muscle and antibodies all requires lots of protein.
2. Carbohydrates: Carbs provide the body with instant energy, and are vital for the nervous system.
3. Fats: Fats are essential for the absorption of vitamins and minerals into the body. Fats also help in blood clotting, muscle mobility, and cell building.
4. Vitamins: There are a total of 13 essential vitamins that maintain good health. Every vitamin plays a specific role for the body, and a deficiency can cause serioushealth complications. Vitamin C, for example, boosts immunity and promotes healing.Without it, you can get a deadly disease called scurvy.
5. Minerals: Calcium, iron, and zinc are a few essential minerals, important for the teeth, bones, metabolism, muscle function, and immune system function.
6. Water: Water is essential for life. It’s the background within which all biochemical reactions take place in the body. A deficiency can significantly affect your skin and brain function. Water also plays a vital role in eliminating toxins from the body.
Micronutrients through IV Therapy after Bariatric Surgery
If you’ve recently had bariatric surgery for weight loss, the procedure will likely have affected the function of your stomach and intestines. In order to make up for the subsequent malabsorption, you must supplement with nutrients. Oral supplements may be beneficial, however many people may still not sufficiently absorb even the oral supplements, or they may prefer not to take supplements regularly.
Intravenous supplementation is by definition 100% absorbed, because the nutrients go directly into the bloodstream, bypassing absorption issues that may occur due to issues in the stomach and intestines.
IV therapy is a safe treatment method in this case and helps replenish your body with the nutrients it needs post-bariatric surgery.
Start your IV therapy treatment with Dr. Jeremy Fischer at Vitality Integrative Medicine today.