Post Date: 8/16/06 6:43 am Hi...the thing is, even if we absorbed B12 via chewing a piece of gum (we wouldn't), the recommended daily amount for 'normies' (those with an intact stomach) is about 6mcgs. So I'm assuming there's about 9-10mcgs of B12 in the gum. For us (even if we absorbed it), this is next to nothing. Post-op RNYers need to practically OD on B12 daily in order to get what we need.
Sublingual B12s are usually between 500-1000mcgs for one. We need much, much more B12 (and need to have it delivered via sublingual or shot) because intrinsic factor, which is needed to absorb B12 properly, is produced in the remnant stomach, not the pouch. And the main site of absorption for B12 is the duodenum, which is bypassed.
I think if we understand WHY we need more B12 and why we need a 'specialized' delivery system, we'll be more conscientious about taking it properly.