Gall Bladder Diet

Why do some people need a gall bladder diet? When the gall bladder malfunctions, excruciating pain may result. While waiting for surgery or other treatments to solve the problem, and after gall bladder removal, the right dietary approach can help minimize pain and optimize health.

What Is the Gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located underneath the liver. It stores a substance called bile that is secreted by the liver and required for fat digestion. Bile is a yellow-green liquid consisting of bile salts, water, cholesterol, lecithin, and trace minerals, as well as the pigments bilirubin and biliverdin. The gallbladder's function is to secrete bile into the intestines when fat is present and must be digested. When the gallbladder becomes diseased, it cannot fulfill its function properly, and several health problems may result. Certain dietary habits may also cause the production of gallstones, which can become lodged in the bile ducts, causing severe pain -- this pain ranks with childbirth and heart attack as the most severe pain known to medical science.

What Is the Gallbladder Diet?

The gallbladder diet is a lowfat regimen designed to allow the gallbladder adequate rest and to prevent painful attacks by minimizing the organ's contractions. After its removal (cholecystectomy), the gall bladder diet is necessary because insufficient bile will be available for the digestion of fats, and excess fat in the diet will lead to diarrhea and other unpleasant effects.

What Can I Eat?

The primary concern in the gallbladder diet is to avoid fats. Therefore, fatty or fried foods should be avoided. In addition, carbonated drinks and large meals are also discouraged.

The gallbladder diet focuses on lean meats, lowfat dairy products, and fruits and vegetables. Because fat cannot be digested normally, it is important to include plenty of fiber in the diet. A person with gallstones should add starchy foods to the diet, such as bread, to ensure adequate fiber consumption.

Essentially, the gallbladder diet follows a typical food pyramid, with vegetables, fruits, and grains making up the bulk of the diet, supplemented by lowfat dairy products and lean meats in moderation, and with fats and sweets relegated to "sparing" usage.

Supplementation with fish oil capsules has been recommended for gall bladder patients to ensure that they get sufficient amounts of the omega-3 and omega-6 essential oils. In addition, increasing use of the spices turmeric and ginger has been shown to aid digestion, so adding them to the spice cabinet and using them frequently is desirable.

Related Diet Links

• American Heart Association Diet
• Dean Ornish Diet
• Low Cholesterol Diet
• The Mayo Clinic Plan
• Pritikin Diet
• Gout Diet
• Sample Diet for Gestational Diabetes