Compliance with any multivitamin supplement regimen after bariatric surgery can be difficult. Nutritional deficiency, as a result of bariatric surgery, is an eventuality without any form of supplementation and even with compliance of a standard multivitamin supplement. An “all inclusive” supplement like BaroFab, improves compliance by decreasing the number of medications patients need to take to help prevent the risk of developing these deficiencies from the start.

While no one vitamin is perfect, BaroFab was specially tailored to meet the needs of any type of bariatric patients and prevent micronutrient deficiencies that may occur. This ready-to-eat and chewable supplement contains high levels of B12, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin D, Folate, Biotin with chelated minerals to ensure better absorptuion, to maintain proper health and nutrition. The need for additional supplementation would be determined based on individual patient needs due to certain medical conditions and routine laboratory screening.

Increased transit of ingested contents and poor absorption capacity makes the over-the-counter supplements not effective for post-operative bariatric patients. The nature of a ready-to-eat and chewable supplement makes the vitamins and minerals more available for absorption, since the micronutrients begin to be broken down before they reach absorption sites.

Vitamin B12:

After bariatric surgery, it is impossible to consume enough vitamin B12 rich foods via diet to meet a patient’s daily needs. Available supplemental vitamin B12 is passively absorbed and does not require any metabolic steps to make it available. At low efficiency, only 1-2% of the amount of vitamin B12 is absorbed by simple diffusion. Hence a larger quantity of B12 must be present for potential passive absorption later in the digestive tract. BaroFab VitMin contains 10,000 % RDA of vitamin B12. Although this may seem like an excessive amount of this vital micronutrient, any unused amounts of B12 beyond the body’s actual needs are simply eliminated and do not become toxic.

Calcium:

Bariatric surgery patients require additional calcium following surgery above and beyond the RDA, especially after bypass procedures. There are several types of calcium when it comes to supplementation.One of the common calcium supplements recommended to the general public is calcium carbonate.  However, calcium carbonate is not the preferred source of calcium supplementation for bariatric surgery patients according to the ASMBS.  The ASMBS recommends that bariatric surgery patients take calcium citrate supplements. 

Calcium citrate is the preferred source of calcium supplementation for bariatric surgery patients because 1) it does not require stomach acid to aid in its absorption (21), 2) there is less risk of kidney stones when supplementing with calcium citrate versus calcium carbonate (22), 3) calcium citrate is less constipating compared to calcium carbonate (23), and 4) calcium citrate can be taken with or without a meal, whereas calcium carbonate must be taken with a meal (21), which can often be difficult for the immediate post-operative bariatric surgery patient. 

Barofab used organic calcium citrate at the highest concentration of 1200 mg among all bariatric multivitamin products. Increased concentration of Vit D2 and reduced dietary fibres add to the increase in bio-availability of calcium thus reducing potential dreficiency post operatively.

Iron:

Iron deficiency is a side effect that results from the changes made during the surgery. Most of the iron from foods is absorbed in the first part of your small intestine (duodenum). But after bariatric procedures, food bypasses the duodenum causing iron deficiency. Iron supplements are important after bariatric surgery. The extra iron should come from a prescription from your provider, not from an over-the-counter (OTC) supplement you pick yourself.

Calcium can inhibit the absorption of iron in the body. We know that certain factors can affect iron absorption when calcium is present, either as food or in supplements.

BaroFab uses innovative Sucrosomial iron formulation in which ferric pyrophosphate is protected by a phospholipid bilayer plus a sucrester matrix. This sucrosome coating together with its highest iron bioavailability and excellent gastrointestinal tolerance makes it the ideal post bariatric iron supplement. Because of sucrosomial form, iron may not be inhibited by calcium

BaroFab, being a ready-to-eat and chewable supplement, ensures iron including all the vitamins and minerals contained are in one of the most available forms of adequate absorption.

Protein:

Protein deficiency can cause protein energy malnutrition. An early symptom of protein malnutrition can be hair loss. Longer term manifestations include signals of muscle-mass wasting. Monitoring protein intake along with skin and hair condition after weight-loss surgery are important measures in preventing  protein deficiency.

After weight-loss surgery, women will need 60 to 80 grams of protein daily. Men will need 70 to 90  grams of protein per day. It is important that bariatric patients get enough protein intake because of the high risk for protein deficiency. It also is important to drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water of fluids per day because high protein intake levels can cause dehydration.

Such high concentration of protein replacement will not be possible with regular diet after bariatric surgery. Especially for vegetarian and Indians. Hence supplementing with other forms is mandatory. Though there are various forms available like soya, casein, and whey are the common forms available. However, whey protein isolate is the one recommended by ASMBS for post bariatric patients for best avaibality and lighter on the stomach and gut for best patient compliance.

BaroFab provides the highest concentration give 20 gm whey isolate in 30 gm powder with variety of flavours and bio-=availabilty of up to 95% and BCAA score of just 1 which makes it one of the sort after protein supplement in the market.

Additional compositions

BaroFab has included high concentration of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in iron and Vitamin D to promote the absorption of the high concentration of calcium

Forms of Supplements:

Increased transit of ingested contents and poor absorption capacity makes the over-the-counter supplements not effective for post-operative bariatric patients. Their bioavailability is so low that one might need more than 10 tablets to maintain the daily requirements of nutrition. The nature of a ready-to-eat and chewable supplement which include higher concentration of vitamins and chelated minerals enhances absorptive capacity of vitamins and mineralsmakes the vitamins and minerals more available for absorption, since the micronutrients begin to be broken down before they reach absorption sites. In short the absorption starts from the throat itself.