Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Orlistat reduces the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (specifically D and E) and beta-carotene, necessitating daily multivitamin supplementation taken 2 hours before or after the drug.
Take a standard multivitamin every day while on Orlistat. Take it at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after your Orlistat dose to ensure your body can absorb the vitamins, as the drug blocks fat-soluble vitamin absorption.
StrongQualifiesVERY_HIGH confidence
Because orlistat may decrease the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, a standard multiple-vitamin supplement is recommended daily during therapy to prevent abnormalities in vitamin serum concentrations.
Why this rating
Consistently observed across multiple trials and explicitly stated as a recommendation.
Source
Orlistat, a New Lipase Inhibitor for the Management of Obesity
Amy Sheehan et al. · Pharmacotherapy The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy · 2000
DOI 10.1592/phco.20.4.270.34882
narrative_reviewCited 554×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Orlistat (120 mg three times daily with meals) promotes greater weight loss and weight maintenance compared to diet alone in obese adults, primarily by inhibiting gastric and pancreatic lipases to reduce dietary fat absorption.Good
- Orlistat improves glycemic control and reduces the need for diabetes medication in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, independent of weight loss alone.Good
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