How important is protein intake after bariatric surgery?

After any bariatric surgery the capacity of your stomach/bowel to accept foods is much smaller, hence the amount of food you can consume is very small. It is therefore difficult to meet macro nutrient requirements from food alone. 

This is the reason why it is recommended to complement your healthy diet with a protein supplement, to make sure there is enough protein ingested and you can meet your requirements.  

Protein is important to maintain not only your muscle mass but also your immune system and the integrity of your skin, hair and nails. 

But also, be careful with how much you have, excess protein can cause kidney issues. Also, it can become excess in calories which could potentially increase calorie intake.

In the market you can find multiple types of protein supplements. Here is the list of those that are more effective.

• Whey protein  
• Whey protein concentrate  
• Whey protein isolate  
• Whey protein hydrolyzed  
• Collagen  
• Soy protein  
• Vegetable based protein 

However, the one that is usually more recommended due to the easy way to use it is a tasteless collagen powder. It does not need to be as an extra meal, it can be included in any food hot or cold, so it can be easily added to your meals. 

If you prefer to go for whey protein powder, try to choose those that are the lowest in the amount of carbs, so not much extra energy is ingested but also will not be a risk for dumping syndrome.