Why Bariatric Multivitamins Don’t Include Calcium – And What To Do Instead

If you've looked closely at your bariatric multivitamin, you may have noticed something missing: calcium.

Many UK post-op patients are surprised to learn that calcium is intentionally excluded from most high-quality multivitamins — and for good reason.

This guide explains why, and what you should do to make sure your calcium needs are still covered after gastric bypass or sleeve surgery.

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Why Calcium Is Important After Bariatric Surgery

Calcium plays a key role in:

• Bone health

• Muscle function

• Nerve signalling

• Preventing long-term deficiencies like osteoporosis

After bariatric surgery, you absorb less calcium — and many patients are advised to supplement long-term or for life.

So why wouldn’t your multivitamin include it?

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Why Calcium Isn’t Included in Most Multivitamins

There are two key reasons:

1. Calcium blocks iron absorption
Calcium and iron compete for absorption in the body.
If they’re taken together — like in the same capsule — it reduces how much of each your body can use.

For post-op patients, iron is just as essential as calcium. Including both in one capsule makes both less effective.

2. Calcium requires high volume
The recommended post-op calcium dose is 1000–1200mg per day — and calcium is a bulky ingredient.

To fit that into a capsule alongside Iron, B12, D3, and other nutrients, you'd need to take 3–6 capsules daily — which defeats the purpose of simplification.

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What You Should Do Instead

Most UK bariatric teams recommend taking calcium separately, at a different time of day from your multivitamin.

• Your multivitamin covers:
  Iron, B12, D3, B-complex, Zinc, etc.

• Your separate calcium supplement should include:
  Calcium Citrate (preferred) + Vitamin D3

Take calcium:

• With food

• At least 2 hours apart from your iron-containing multivitamin

Need help choosing a multivitamin that leaves space for proper calcium support? See Bari Enhance →

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Key Takeaways

• ✔️ Calcium is essential post-op, but shouldn’t be mixed with iron

• ✔️ Most multivitamins exclude it on purpose — to protect absorption

• ✔️ You should take a separate calcium supplement daily, spaced from your multivitamin

• ✔️ Bari Enhance was formulated with this in mind — one capsule for core nutrients, so calcium stays effective too

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Want to know what should be in your multivitamin?

Read our UK multivitamin guide →