The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recommends that all gastric bypass patients take multivitamins and offers specific guidelines for these multivitamins. Multivitamins should provide 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of most vitamins and minerals, should include minerals like copper and selenium, and should be taken twice daily. Many patients use chewable multivitamins right after surgery, until their stomachs have healed, but some prefer liquid vitamins instead.
Wellesse Liquid Multivitamin
Wellesse markets its liquid multivitamin to gastric bypass patients and even provides the ASMBS recommendations for multivitamins on its website for potential customers to read. If potential customers do read the recommendations, though, they will see that the Wellesse liquid multivitamin does not come close to meeting them. It contains 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of most vitamins, with the exception of vitamin K, but it contains no minerals whatsoever. It does not come close to meeting the nutritional needs of gastric bypass patients.
Life Solutions Liquid Super MultiVitamins and Minerals
Life Solutions liquid multivitamin contains widely varying amounts of nutrients. For instance, one serving contains 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, but 2667 percent of the recommended daily allowance of thiamine (B1) and only 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance of copper. For this reason, I’m not sure how one would determine how many servings to take daily; two servings would provide the amount of vitamin A recommended by the ASMBS, but that would also provide far more thiamine than needed and it would still not provide nearly enough copper.
Celebrate Bariatric Supplements Essential Nutrient System
Celebrate Bariatric Supplements Essential Nutrient System (ENS) is not really a liquid but I decided to include it here because it is a powder meant to be mixed with liquid. ENS contains 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of most vitamins and minerals and meets the ASMBS guidelines for a multivitamin for gastric bypass patients; two daily doses are required. It also contains 500 mg calcium. ENS is available with or without protein; the ENS with protein contains 25 grams protein. ENS without protein is available in wild cherry, cranberry-grape and citrus splash flavor, while ENS with protein is available in vanilla cake batter, chocolate milk and strawberry flavors.
Bariatric Advantage Crystals
Bariatric Advantage multivitamin crystals are similar to Celebrate ENS, providing a variety of vitamins and minerals, including calcium; but three daily doses are required instead of two. It comes in wild berry punch flavor. It is not available with protein.
Sources:
Bariatric Nutrition. http://nutrition.otago.ac.nz/__data/assets/file/0005/4784/BariatricNutritionReading.pdf. Suggestions for the Surgical Weight Loss Patient.
Wellesse. http://www.wellesse.com/multivitamin_liquid.asp. Liquid Multivitamin.
Liquid Bariatric Vitamins. http://www.liquidbariatricvitamins.com/LifeSolnliqvitsupp.htm. Supplemental Fact Sheet on Life Solutions Liquid Super MultiVitamins and Minerals.
Celebrate Bariatric Supplements. https://www.celebratevitamins.com/shop/other-supplements/ens.html. Celebrate ENS.
Bariatric Advantage. https://www1.bariatricadvantage.com/catalog/matrix/1/Multivitamins. Multivitamins.