Posted - September 12, 2011

Eating Healthy after Gastric Bypass

If you have had a stomach bypass in the past, or you are currently considering it, then chances are that you already know bariatric surgery can help you lose weight by decreasing your daily food intake. But did you know that gastric bypass surgery could help you make healthier food choices, too?

Stomach bypass surgery is an obesity surgery that makes the stomach smaller. The surgery divides the top part of the stomach into a smaller pouch and then allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. This limits the amount of food you can eat while reducing how much food can be absorbed by the body.

Following a stomach bypass, it is essential to maintain a healthy diet rich in nutrients, including vitamins A, B12, D, K, E, and iron. Since the body is absorbing less food, it is important that the food it is absorbing is healthy.

A new study suggests that stomach bypass surgery may naturally help an individual eat healthier by producing hormone changes.

The stomach naturally produces many hormones associated with food consumption. Following gastric bypass surgery, the levels of these hormones are reduced. In response, many patients become “disinterested” in food, when previously they were unable to control their food cravings.

The study shows that patients naturally make healthier food choices, even when taste is not a factor. This may partly be due to hormone changes, as well as the fact that following obesity surgery many patients are unable to properly digest oily or fatty foods.

Another experiment in the study found that the new hormones, including glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY, were produced following the surgery. These hormones are responsible for promoting a feeling of fullness.

Stomach bypass surgery is an important first step for weight loss. However, it is essential for patients to maintain proper nutrition following the surgery for long-term, weight loss success.