Just wondering why people need to take B-12 and calcium chews post vsg? What does it do?

It's to prevent a deficiency. I'm not sure about the calcium, but I was told by the Dr that b12 attaches to food and is carried into the intestine to be absorbed and so when you are eating drastically less there is a risk of b12 deficiency and supplementing this easily prevents that possibility (which can lead to bad stuff).

It is best to google B-12 and the negative effects of not getting enough in your diet. It is really dangerous to be deficient in this supplement. As for calcium, it is also detrimental to get our calcium in so we have strong healthy bones etc.

I haven't seen any justification for additional calcium supplementation for VSG patients. I track my calcium intake on MFP and only take supplements if I otherwise won't get at least 150% of my RDA from my diet, and I only take just enough to get me over 150%. There are scary studies out there about dangers of long-term calcium supplements so I am very judicious with that.

There are studies out there that show sleeve patients have a risk of becoming B12 deficient.

https://www1.bariatr.../blog?id=117261

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3667372/

The theory is that intrinsic factor is needed to absorb B12 properly. Intrinsic factor is secreted by stomach cells. By removing the vast majority of the stomach, production of intrinsic factor may be inhibited/decreased, so B12 is not absorbed as efficiently.

B12 is important for all sorts of body and cell functions, including iron absorption. B12 level screenings should be included in all blood work labs for sleeve patients, at least per my surgeon.

Hmm I must have gotten the simplified version! Interesting though.

VSG basically cuts a large portion of your stomach which results in the loss of intrinsic factor responsible for digestion of vitamin b12 from food sources. Thus after VSG you cannot absorb b12 causing a deficiency. Thus you ideally are advised to take vitamin b12 sublingual that is directly absorbed into the body through the blood stream. Can’t say about the calcium need after VSG though.