Micronutrients & recovery
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery causes iron deficiency and anemia primarily through the exclusion of the duodenum, diminished gastric acid secretion, and reduced red meat intake, with risk significantly higher in menstruating women, pregnant women, and adolescents.
If you have had gastric bypass surgery, you are at high risk for iron deficiency, especially if you are a menstruating woman. You must take specific iron supplements (often 320mg twice daily) and Vitamin C, not just a standard multivitamin. Monitor your blood levels lifelong, as deficiency can develop years after surgery. If oral iron fails, intravenous iron may be necessary.
Iron deficiency develops after gastric bypass for several reasons including intolerance for red meat, diminished gastric acid secretion, and exclusion of the duodenum from the alimentary tract. Menstruating women, pregnant women, and adolescents may be particularly predisposed toward developing iron deficiency and microcytic anemias after bypass surgery.
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing multiple prospective, retrospective, and randomized controlled trials, though it notes a lack of large RCTs specifically on iron.
Source
Obesity, bariatric surgery, and iron deficiency: True, true, true and related
Aileen L. Love et al. · American Journal of Hematology · 2007
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