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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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Diet and Nutrition |
About dieting and the gall bladder03/03/2008 |
In past years I have dieted and lost quite a bit of weight but afterwards I developed abdominal pain after eating maybe some cheese or other high fat item. The symptoms went away after awhile. But at one point I developed excruciating pain and vomiting and after some scans it was determined that the gall bladder had a stone and lots of clay. Apparently the obstruction cleared on its own. At any rate the symptoms have gone and its been a few years. I did some research about the gall bladder and found that when dieting the gall badder may not be releasing its stored bile and the bile just sits there turning into a clay like stone that can cause gall bladder problems. What I would like to know is that if one goes on a restricted calorie and food intake diet how often would the gall bladder need to be activated to avoid a complicating buildup of bile and what would be the best way to accomplish this.
Thanks for you question. Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) occurs more often in women than men and is commonly experienced by pregnant women. Losing weight too drastically increases your risk of cholecystitis. This condition is more often seen with very low calorie/high protein liquid fasts or other "quick fix" types of weight loss diets.
If you experience this pain again, be sure to see your physician ASAP. Untreated cholecystitis can be life threatening. If you have bouts of untreated cholecystitis, you may eventually require surgery to have your gallbladder removed (cholecystectomy).
The best way to prevent cholecystitis again is to maintain a normal/ideal weight and eat a diet that is moderate in calories and low in fat. Your diet should include high fiber foods (fresh fruits & vegetables), whole grains (such as whole wheat bread, oats, brown rice, bran cereal, etc) and beans (pinto, navy, black, etc), as well as lean meat, chicken or fish. Dairy products should be low fat (1% or skim milk, reduced fat cheese and cottage cheese). If possible, try to avoid whole milk products (butter, regular cheese, ice cream, etc), fried foods, and highly processed foods (high fat crackers, donuts, processed cake, pie, cookies, etc). A diet high in refined sugar (from soft drinks and sugary desserts mentioned above) also increase the risk of gallstones.
Regular exercise will aid in maintaining your weight loss and appears to be protective in preventing gallstones in both men and women. There are some studies that suggest regular coffee consumption and moderate alcohol aid in preventing gallstones. If are pregnant or have issues with alcohol in the past, you should obviously avoid alcohol.
For more information, check with your physician about treatment for gallstones. Best of luck maintaining your new weight!
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Lisa Cicciarello Andrews, MEd, RD, LD Adjunct Faculty University of Cincinnati |
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