Nutritional Supplements after Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

Dear Colleagues,

The World Obesity Atlas 2022, published by the World Obesity Federation, predicts that one billion people globally, including one in five women and one in seven men, will be living with obesity by 2030. With an increasing rate of global metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) experience, long-term studies have proven it an effective and durable treatment for severe obesity and its co-morbidities. After surgery, significant improvements in metabolic disease, as well as decreases in the overall mortality rate, have been reported in multiple studies, further supporting the importance of this treatment modality. Concurrently, the safety of MBS surgery has been studied and reported extensively. Nevertheless, some issues persist in the correct nutritional management, also in terms of supplements, of these patients in both the pre- and postoperative phases.

Because MBS, by definition, results in a substantial reduction in food intake and/or malabsorption, it has the potential to create nutritional deficiencies. Not consuming enough protein, iron, and certain vitamins and minerals can result in anemia. Bone and calcium metabolism disorders are common. Vitamin B1 deficiency can result in heart failure, neurological abnormalities can result from vitamin B12 deficiency, and blood clotting disorders can result from vitamin K deficiency. Since these abnormalities typically do not occur until there is a substantial deficiency over time, it is important to be proactive with nutritional intake after surgery. This is best accomplished by consuming nutrient-dense foods and taking vitamin and mineral supplements as recommended by a nutritionist with expertise in bariatric nutrition. In this Special Issue entitled “Nutritional Supplements After Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery”, we aim to advance the knowledge regarding the nutritional management of patients with obesity along the whole course of their journey. Furthermore, after MBS, it is important to understand that staving off potential nutritional deficiencies after surgery with vitamin and mineral supplements is an important part of long-term medical care.

Ideal contributors are authors of international and national standing, leaders in the field, and trendsetters, such as nutritionists, dietitians, surgeons, health care professionals, research scientists, molecular and cellular biochemists, physicians, general practitioners, public health workers, and anyone involved in MBS multidisciplinary teams. We encourage the submission of original research and review articles that cover the gaps of knowledge regarding the importance of clinical and nutritional management in bariatric patients before and after surgery.

We expect this Special Issue to attract significant interest in view of the worrying worldwide burden of obesity, its complications, and complications within its management.

Prof. Dr. Luigi Schiavo
Guest Editor

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• metabolic and bariatric surgery
• micronutrient deficiencies
• protein supplementation
• nutritional supplements
• sarcopenia
• body composition