Hi guys, Michelle Phelan here, nutritionist at Blossom Bariatrics and today I’m going to share with you some amazing tips and some awesome finds at the grocery store.
Today I’d really like to talk a little bit about vitamin B12, the signs of B12 deficiency, and excellent sources of B12. Signs of B12 deficiency are fatigue, constipation, depression, low sperm count, and low libido, weakness, anemia, and asthma. So all of these can mimic other things going on in your body, so it’s important to get your levels tested. So something to also keep in mind post surgery is that the nature of perhaps a sleeve surgery, or gastric bypass is that there’s a protein in your stomach, produced in your stomach by the cells in your stomach called intrinsic factor and intrinsic factor, after surgery, particularly with sleeve clients, is available much less so. So you have less intrinsic factor available and this is the little guy who likes to hang on to that B12 whether from supplements or food and help that B12 travel safely through the different PH’s in your digestive system where it can be disrobed and methylated, or become active at the bottom of your small intestine. So it’s important again to make sure you have enough digestive juices, hydrochloric acid, and intrinsic factor in your stomach. Now if this is not the case, which happens in many clients post surgery with the sleeve procedure, it’s important to take a high quality B12 supplement. Now many of you know that I really promote methylcobalamin B12 post surgery because it’s methylated. It’s already active, it’s ready to go. Whether you have enough intrinsic factor or not. So play it safe. Make sure that you’re B complex has the methylcobalamin B12 version of B12 in it. It’s super important. Don’t get anything else if you’re a post-surgery bariatric client.
Something else I’d like to add is that there’s some things that can deplete your body of B12 much more quickly. So if you are on things like Metformin, diabetes medication, birth control, depression medication, or Nexium, like acid reflux medication, these things can inhibit the absorption of B12 as well. In fact, although Nexium and these antacids help short term with the pain of acid reflux and acid indigestion long term, they inhibit your stomach’s ability to create enough hydrochloric acid to properly break down food and it also inhibits your stomach’s ability to make intrinsic factors. So you could be at a huge disadvantage to getting B12 if you’re taking these medications. So it’s always beneficial to supplement with methylcobalamin B12. Make sure that the B12 is in addition to your B complex. B12 is one of the eight B vitamins. They all work together best as a family.
Okay, top B12 containing foods, so beef liver, I know right? But that is the top way to get B12 naturally. Sardines, I know, another ugh right? But again, the second best way to get B12 from food. Grass-fed organic beef, so there’s another option as well. Tuna has B12 in it, cottage cheese, lamb, salmon, all of these things have high amounts of B12. But also keep in mind that although these foods are on the very much eat these foods list, as a post-surgery bariatric client, if you like them, as a client post surgery you’re not able to eat a lot of them, maybe like one or two ounces. So you still need to supplement. If you really like beef liver, I still recommend you supplement with methylcobalamin B12.
Thanks for watching. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to check out our website at www.blossombariatrics.com and be sure to check out our YouTube channel as well.
As always, have a healthy day.
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Blossom Bariatrics is a weight loss surgery center located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Award winning surgeon, Dr. Thomas Umbach, is dedicated to helping individuals improve their health, and live more fulfilling lives by losing their excess weight.
Dr. Tom Umbach is a nationally recognized, fellowship-trained Las Vegas bariatric surgery specialist. His gastric bypass practice specializes in both advanced and traditional laparoscopic (minimally invasive) procedures. The bariatric practice delivers outcomes that exceed national averages of weight-management success due to Dr. Umbach’s surgical expertise, compassionate care, and exemplary pre- and post-surgery services.
If you are looking for the premier weight loss surgery center located in Las Vegas, Nevada contact Blossom Bariatrics today at (702) 463-3300 or visit www.BlossomBariatrics.com
