Gastric bypass, a type of bariatric or weight loss surgery, reduces the size of your stomach so it will hold only an ounce of food initially. The procedure also changes the way your digestive system works, causing food to bypass part of the small intestines. As a result, your body absorbs fewer calories and nutrients than it did before surgery. Some foods such as whole milk may cause digestive problems after gastric bypass so follow your surgeon's dietary instructions carefully.
Milk
The primary differences between non-fat and whole milk are the fat content and the calorie content. An 8-ounce serving of whole milk contains 3.25 percent milk fat -- about 8 grams of fat -- and 149 calories while a serving of skim milk contains 83 calories and no fat, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Nutrition Data Library. Low-fat milk contains between 1 and 2 percent fat. All types of cow's milk contain 8 grams of protein, 12 grams of natural sugar, no fiber and no added sugar. They also contain about 291 to 316 grams of calcium per cup.
Lactose Intolerance
Whole milk, like all types of cow's milk, contains 12 to 13 grams of lactose or milk sugar per cup. To digest the lactose, your body needs sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase to break it down in the small intestine. After gastric bypass surgery, however, you may develop lactose intolerance even if you did not have it before the surgery, according to the University of Wisconsin Health Bariatric Surgery Program. Because your body produces too little of the lactase enzyme, milk passes undigested into the large intestine where bacteria break it down, causing nausea, bloating, gas, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Dumping Syndrome
Drinking whole milk can cause dumping syndrome, a condition that occurs within about 15 minutes after a gastric bypass patient eats foods high in fat or sugar. After surgery, your stomach no longer releases small amounts of these substances into your small intestines for digestion; instead, the food passes quickly through your stomach pouch and dumps quickly into the small intestine, causing diarrhea, nausea, cramps and cold sweats. Some patients do not experience dumping syndrome but if you do, the discomfort may be severe and last for several hours.
Alternatives
Instead of drinking whole milk, stick to non-fat or low-fat milk to avoid dumping syndrome and to control calorie intake. If you experience lactose intolerance symptoms after drinking milk, try lactose-free milk or take a lactase enzyme pill to assist with digestion. You may prefer to use milk substitutes made from almonds, soy or rice, suggests the National Naval Medical Center. Powdered protein supplements made from soy, egg whites or whey isolate contain no lactose but read food labels carefully to ensure that the product provides at least 20 grams of protein and no more than 5 grams each of sugar and fat.
References
- Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases; ASMBS Allied Health Nutritional Guidelines for the Surgical Weight Loss Patients; Linda Aills, R.D., et al.
- National Naval Medical Center; National Capital Area Surgical Weight Loss Program Nutrition Guidelines
- MayoClinic.com: Gastric Bypass Diet
- University of Wisconsin: Post-Surgery Nutrition
- Cleveland Clinic Florida; Medical Nutrition Therapy For Gastroparesis; Lillian Craggs-Dino, M.S., R.D.
- Highland Hospital: Liquid Meal Plan
- Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology: Lactose Intolerance
- USDA Nutrition Data Library: Whole Milk
- Pediatric Clinics of North America; Nutritional Deficiencies in Obesity and After Bariatric Surgery; Stavra A. Xanthakos, M.D.
- Obesity Surgery; Food Aversions in Women During The 2 Years After Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass; P.F. Novals
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