Vitamin Confusion

[catwoman7 11,274]

I just want to respond to the issue with Iron. Depending on the type of iron, you only actually absorb a certain percentage of what's in the tablet. I take carbonyl iron, of which the body absorbs close to 100% ("elemental iron" is the amount you actually absorb, vs the total amount of iron that's in the tablet, and I believe carbonyl iron is the only version with that high of an absorption rate). In other versions, the body may only absorb half, or 20%, or 60%, or whatever, of iron that is in the tablet. That would explain the incongruence of the numbers that you're seeing (e.g., 45mg tablet when the required amount or iron is 18mg). I just cut & pasted this from an article I just googled:

No, 65 mg of iron is not the same as 325 mg. Ferrous sulfate tablets are often labeled with both the amount of ferrous sulfate (the actual pill) and the equivalent amount of elemental iron (the usable iron). A 325 mg ferrous sulfate tablet typically contains 65 mg of elemental iron. So, while 325 mg of ferrous sulfate contains 65 mg of usable iron, they are not the same in terms of their total weight.

[catwoman7 11,274]

P.S. the amount of Vitamins recommended are often just a starting point. It's common to have quarterly blood tests the first year, and then annual tests thereafter. I think being allowed to go off all supplements isn't all that common (although it's true for some people), and I'd be surprised if it's true of ANYONE who had bypass, since that surgery has a malabsorption component. At any rate, vitamins and amounts of vitamins required are sometimes adjusted depending on the test results. For example, I require more Protein than most patients because we discovered early on that my pre albumin level tanks unless I average 100 g a day. Also, I had to quit taking Calcium a few years after surgery because it was clear I had no trouble absorbing it from my food and regular Multivitamins, and the overage by taking additional supplementation was not only unneeded, but was also putting me at risk for kidney stones or damage. So your particular needs may change as time goes on - that's why it's important to keep up with any required testing.

[SpartanMaker 1,259]

43 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

I just want to respond to the issue with Iron. Depending on the type of Iron, you only actually absorb a certain percentage of what's in the tablet. I take carbonyl iron, of which the body absorbs close to 100% ("elemental iron" is the amount you actually absorb, vs the total amount of iron that's in the tablet, and I believe carbonyl iron is the only version with that high of an absorption rate). In other versions, the body may only absorb half, or 20%, or 60%, or whatever, of iron that is in the tablet. That would explain the incongruence of the numbers that you're seeing (e.g., 45mg tablet when the required amount or iron is 18mg). I just cut & pasted this from an article I just googled:

No, 65 mg of iron is not the same as 325 mg. Ferrous sulfate tablets are often labeled with both the amount of ferrous sulfate (the actual pill) and the equivalent amount of elemental iron (the usable iron). A 325 mg ferrous sulfate tablet typically contains 65 mg of elemental iron. So, while 325 mg of ferrous sulfate contains 65 mg of usable iron, they are not the same in terms of their total weight.

Good point. People need to be careful when making comparisons.

The good news is (at least in the US), as long as you look at the "Iron" content on the supplement label. it's all been standardized based on the elemental iron amount. In other words, if it lists Iron specifically, even if it has the source listed in parentheses (ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, iron carbonyl, etc.), one listing of 45mg is roughly the same as any other 45mg listing even if the sources are different. This is required by US law. Now there are individual differences between people in terms of how well we absorb iron from various sources and as I mentioned before, all bariatric surgery patients don't tend to absorb iron as well as the gen pop. That said, I'm not sure any of us will know how well we absorb iron from these different sources unless we're doing frequent blood tests and trying various forms. For most of us (as has already been said), the most important thing is to get regular blood tests and not to make any changes unless directed by your doctor.

Edited May 27 by SpartanMaker