When Too Much of A Good Thing isn't Good.
You take your supplements every day because you know deficiencies are a risk following weight loss surgery. You might also know that insufficient levels of certain vitamins and minerals can slow down your metabolism—and your weight loss. Have you ever wondered though about that saying, “Too much of a good thing, isn’t so good?” While it’s true that deficiency is a concern for health, vitamin and mineral excesses can be very serious as well.
One vitamin that hasn’t historically been a major concern for bariatric patients is B6. That’s changing however as dietitians across the country are reporting more and more cases of B6 toxicity.
Here’s what’s happening: B6 is often part of the B complex supplements most patients take every day. There’s also B6 in most multivitamins. Additionally, more food manufacturers are fortifying their products with vitamins (like B6!) to appeal to health-conscious consumers. [Fortifying means adding vits/mins that weren’t there in the first place.]
The Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA for B6 is 1.3 milligrams to 1.7 milligrams per day for adults. The maximum daily intake is no more than 100 milligrams/day. When you start adding up your intake, it’s easy to see how you could be getting more than you need—a lot more!
What about the B6 naturally occurring in food? Typically, natural sources of vitamins and minerals in food and drink are not the cause of toxic levels in humans.
Signs and symptoms of excessive B6 include pain and numbness of the arms, legs, fingers and toes. In severe and advanced cases, difficulty walking has been reported. Even more alarming? Some of these symptoms are irreversible if not caught early.
So take the time to do a quick check of your personal supplement intake—not just B6. Share any concerns with your healthcare provider.
One thing is for sure. You can’t know where you stand without regular bloodwork. Make sure you get blood taken at all the scheduled times following your bariatric surgery. Often, it takes more than a year for deficiencies and/or toxic levels of vitamins and minerals to appear.
Protect your bariatric investment -- stay in touch with your bariatric medical team and get those labs done!
Elizabeth Anderson MA, RD, LD
Elizabeth Anderson is a registered and licensed dietitian in New Hampshire with a private practice called CrackerJack Nutrition. Elizabeth specializes in weight management with a focus in non-judgmental bariatric surgery support. Elizabeth sees patients in her office and via Skype. Email her for a 15 complimentary session to see if she can help you. eliz@crackerjacknutrition.com.
lisacaron 5,075
Posted
@ 100% right on the money! Got to get in there to get those labs done. Most of us wait until we see or feel like something is not right and that's not the time to run to the Dr. by then it's often already too late. Keeping in regular check ups with your PCP and bariatric group is the way to go.
I had an appointment a few months ago and went to see the endocrinologist and they found that the B Vitamins in my system were too high they came back as flag on my blood work. Not at toxic levels but i was taking Biotin every day in high milligram doses on top of my daily multi Vitamin believing that B Vitamins and B12 specifically was not stored in your body and that this was "healthy" for me. I was already getting enough of those vitamins from the foods and other fortified foods I was eating.
We have become so complacent with our food choices even though we know we should look at the labels we are looking at the calorie fat sugar contents and we are not checking those extra vitamins and minerals they add in and they can sneak past you!
I didn't have any adverse affect or toxicity thank goodness, they saw the flag on the blood test and I stopped taking the extra vitamins and today all is well.
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