Gallbladder Health

Most people don’t even realize they have a gallbladder.  Unlike the liver, most people can live without their gallbladder, as its prime purpose is to stockpile bile produced by the liver, and at the proper time release it into the intestines to aid in digestion of fats.  But when troubles occur, typically in the form of gallstones, it is most commonly treated by surgically removing the gall bladder.  Over a half million people in the United States have gall bladder surgery each year, and it is estimated you’ve got about a 60% chance of having no change in health following the surgery.  That leaves 40% that will still have symptoms.

Point is, it’s usually not prudent to get rid of body parts unless you absolutely have to.  Many individuals have experienced uncontrolled weight gain after gall bladder surgery, and although the liver will still be there to produce bile after the storage area (gallbladder) is departed, the liver may become overwhelmed to provide sufficient bile once faced with large quantities of fats, especially saturated or hydrogenated fats.  This will likely lead to huge troubles for some people.  But if the gall bladder is to the point where it is producing gall stones that may be detrimental to overall health, it may be the only option.

Clearly, the best way to go is to avoid gall bladder surgery in the first place, and the best control we have over this is through suitable food regimen.  Excess body weight will dramatically increase your chances of gallstones, as does a diet that’s high in fat and cholesterol and low in fiber, such as:

*    Fresh vegetables and fruits

*    Whole grains, like whole-wheat bread and brown rice

*    Fish, poultry and very lean meat

*    Walnuts, almonds, and other nuts

*    Low-fat dairy products

Conversely, some of these foods you ought to pass up or severely limit in your diet are high-fat foods including:

*    Fried foods

*    Highly processed foods, such as white bread or doughnuts

*    Whole milk dairy products

*    Fatty red meat

While altering your diet drastically so that you can shed weight, be aware that quick weight loss can exasperate the issues with gallstones.  If there is very little or no fat in the food intake, the gallbladder, whose job it is to secrete bile to digest fat, will become inactive without having to secrete bile.  This inactivity is when gallstones tend to be more prone to develop.  Then when you eat a meal high in dietary fat, the gallbladder goes to work doing its duty, and you become very susceptible to a gallbladder attack.   Aim for a gradual weight reduction of one to two pounds per week with some fat to keep bile moving from your gallbladder, and at all times accompany a good eating plan with regular exercise.

Gallbladder problems, it is said, come with the diet that modern Western culture has adopted, and that is high in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats.  Changing your eating routine will not get rid of gall stones that you already have, but getting into a diet that is well balanced in many different nutrients while limiting all the bad things may well help ease your symptoms and put off what so many individuals are going through.  Despite the fact that gallbladder surgery has become frequent, like we used to say in athletics, surgical procedure is only simple when it’s performed on someone else.  Gallbladder surgery is something to avoid if at all possible, and a better diet is something we can all control.

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