Gastric bypass surgery, or Roux-en-Y surgery, is a type of weight-loss surgery that helps patients lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off. In addition to restricting the size of the stomach, the procedure permanently changes the way that food digests in the body. These changes help to speed weight loss but also might cause problems with digestion of certain foods, including those containing high amounts of sugar.
Gastric Bypass
To perform gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon divides the stomach with staples, creating an egg-sized pouch, and reroutes the digestive system to bypass part of the small intestine, according to MayoClinic.com. After surgery, patients lose weight because their bodies can no longer tolerate large meals and, because of the changes to the digestive system, they no longer absorb calories and nutrients efficiently. The procedure does not cure obesity: Patients must make long-term changes to their diets and lifestyles, including limiting their sugar intake, for weight-loss success.
Problems With Sugar
Sugary foods contain too many calories for no nutritional value and might prevent weight loss. In addition, gastric bypass patients might experience unpleasant symptoms -- diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramping and cold sweats -- shortly after eating foods high in sugar or fat. This condition, called dumping syndrome, occurs because your modified digestive system no longer releases these foods gradually from your stomach into the small intestine. Instead, the undigested food moves quickly through your stomach pouch and dumps into your small intestine, according to the University of Wisconsin. Patients with severe dumping syndrome might develop malnutrition and lose too much weight. As a result, they might avoid physical activity because they must stay close to a bathroom, become unable to work, and even fear eating because of the pain it causes, according to MayoClinic.com.
Sugar Guidelines
After gastric bypass surgery, prevent dumping syndrome by avoiding foods high in sugar, including desserts, pastries, ice cream, soft drinks and some fruit juices, according to Houston Surgical Specialists. Follow your surgeon's recommendations exactly, since your ability to handle refined sugar might vary from that of another patient. Some bariatric experts, including Duke University Health System and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons of Virginia, caution against eating desserts and other foods that contain more than 5 g of sugar per serving. Others, including Health Partners, suggest consuming foods with less than 10 g of sugar per serving.
Selecting Appropriate Foods
To avoid dumping syndrome, read food labels carefully and avoid foods that contain the words sugar, glucose, honey, corn syrup, fructose, molasses, dextrose or sucrose in the first three ingredients, advises Health Partners. Hidden sugar exists in many condiments, including ketchup, salad dressing, barbecue sauce and other sauces, as well as in sweetened dairy products. Plan your meals to include high-quality protein foods, fruits, vegetables, grains and unsweetened dairy products. Drink sugar-free fluids such as water flavored with drink mixes and choose fruit or sugar-free Popsicles for dessert.
Time Frame
Sugar restrictions begin before surgery for most gastric bypass patients as surgeons restrict their diets two weeks or more before the procedure date to help them lose weight and shrink their livers. Unless instructed otherwise, plan to eat a high-protein, low-fat and low-sugar diet for the rest of your life after surgery, according to Health Partners. Eating a nutritious, well-planned diet helps patients lose most of their excess weight and keep it off long term.
References
- Duke Health: Recommended Diet Following Bariatric Surgery
- Houston Surgical Specialists: Gastric Bypass/Gastric Sleeve Diet
- MayoClinic.com Dumping Syndrome
- Health Partners: Diet and Activity Recommendations After Gastric Bypass Surgery (PDF)
- ASMBS Virginia: Life After Surgery
- University of Wisconsin: Post-Surgery Nutrition
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