Vitamin B-3–also known as niacin–is important for post-surgery health for a number of reasons. It’s especially important for bariatric patients because it strengthens your digestive system, gets rid of body toxins, and helps reduce your cholesterol levels. It even helps you sleep well and look great! Here is a quick break-down on why vitamin B is so important to bariatric health.
1. B-Complex vitamins help keep up the muscle tone inside your digestive tract.
After your weight loss surgery, you have less digestive tract than you started with. This is what will help you reach your goal of losing weight, but it also makes digestion more difficult. B vitamins such as niacin help keep your digestive system in shape to supply your body with the nutrition it needs.
2. Niacin helps eliminate toxins from your body.
This is one reason why it is used in what is known as a “Niacin flush”, which is when a person takes a concentrated amount of the vitamin to help rid the body of impurities.
You don’t have to do a daily flush to help keep your system free of toxins and garbage that will slow it down. In fact, we wouldn’t recommend it! Just make sure you’re getting the USDA recommended amount of B-3 in an easy to digest form every day.
3. B-3 helps you sleep at night.
If you’ve ever taken a melatonin supplement to get to sleep, you may have noticed B listed on the label. In the right dosage, Niacin can have a relaxing and calming effect (note that this is much less than what is needed for a “flush”).
4. Niacin Helps Reduce Cholesterol Levels
Helps elevate lipoprotein cholesterol, which is considered the “good” kind. This helps to balance out your overall ratio and keep your cholesterol level from getting out of control.
5. B Helps You Look Good!
In addition to all of the health benefits above, it also helps to keep your eyes, hair, and skin healthy, so that the new you will start to look just as great as you feel!
Make sure your Bariatric Multi-Vitamin includes Vitamin B Complexes
Vitamin B-3 should be included in your bariatric multi-vitamin. A high concentration of B-complex vitamins is a must for providing essential micronutrients. Always make sure your bariatric vitamins provide you with what is important to your health.
