Balancing cost, convenience and quality in a bariatric vitamin regimen is a tricky feat: it often seems that to get the most of one, we have to sacrifice another. Vitamin patches entered the market with a promise to deliver on this concern – but are they really effective for bariatric patients?
Key takeaways
- There is not enough research to prove vitamin patches work.
- In a small study, 82.35% of the patch group had at least 1 deficiency, compared with 40.74% of the pill group.
- The digestive system is the body's natural route for absorbing nutrients.
Effectiveness of patches
The bottom line is that there is not enough research yet to prove they work. In fact, the limited research available has shown that patches lead to more vitamin deficiencies. In a small study, the vitamin patch group had more deficiencies than the oral supplement group.1 Despite the small study size, the results raise some concern:
| Patch group | Pill group | |
|---|---|---|
| At least 1 deficiency | 82.35% | 40.74% |
| Vitamin D deficiency | 81% | 36% |
Lower serum concentrations of vitamin D, B1 and B12 were seen in the patch group.1
Why oral supplements come out ahead
To understand why the results favour oral supplements, let's take a quick refresher on digestion. The gastrointestinal tract is your body's natural organ system for absorbing nutrients. It has all the equipment and materials needed to break food down and pass nutrients into the blood and lymphatic system to be transported throughout the body. Optimising this process is especially important after bariatric surgery, which is why using the highest-quality forms of vitamins and avoiding nutrient interactions is so important.
Taking a practical approach, it just does not make sense that all the vitamins and minerals needed in high concentrations after bariatric surgery would be better absorbed in any way other than through the digestive system. JoAnn Manson, DrPH, MD, Chief of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital (and Harvard professor), offers this insight: "My message for the public is 'buyer beware.' The evidence for nutrient absorption through the skin barrier is very limited, and many of the health-related claims are unsubstantiated. The companies need to provide proof for the claims."2
Sources
- Saurabh S, Gao Y, Maduka S, Smith L, Lasley R, Singh N. (2019). Is transdermal multivitamin patch effective in gastric bypass patients? Obesity Surgery, 29(12), 3818-3823. doi:10.1007/s11695-019-04070-5
- D'Souza K. (5 September 2018). Do vitamin patches actually work? Retrieved 31 July 2020, from https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09/05/do-vitamin-patches-actually-work/
This article is for general information only and does not replace personal medical advice. Always discuss your situation, blood test results and supplementation with your bariatric team or healthcare provider.