Gastric Bypass and Calcium

So now that you’ve had the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, are you are wondering how to best maintain your calcium levels?  Well, not all calcium supplements will work the same!

Calcium is mostly absorbed in the first part of our small intestine, called the duodenum.  As food is diverted from this area following Gastric Bypass, daily calcium supplementation is needed.

An article published in Obesity Surgery examined the difference between two different calcium supplements following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.  In completely random fashion, patients were supplemented with either calcium citrate or calcium carbonate.  The patients, and even the surgeons, did not know which supplement each was taking, so the experiment is considered a randomized, double-blinded study.

Only eighteen patients completed the study, however, it was well designed.  Careful statistical analysis revealed calcium citrate had significantly better blood evidence than calcium carbonate.

Just remember, if you need additional supplementation beyond two daily multivitamins, stick with Calcium citrate.  It is typically sold over the counter as Citracal®, or Citracal® Liquitab.