Behind the scenes
The gall bladder, a pear-shaped sac, stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver. Bile is part waste product (residue of red blood cells) and part digestive juice. After a meal, the gall bladder contracts, forcing bile to be excreted into the small intestine via a narrow tube called the bile duct. Gallstones as small as grains of sand can pass through the bile duct into the intestines without touching the sides, and larger stones won’t fit into the bile duct – it’s the in-between-sized stones that are the troublemakers.
Symptoms
- The majority of people experience no symptoms until a stone gets caught in the bile duct.
- A stone stuck in the bile duct causes agonising pain and complications including pancreatitis. Infection of the liver can be life-threatening.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Fever.
- Clay-coloured stool.
- Sharp cramping or dull pain.
- Pain in the right or the middle of the abdomen.
- Pain can be referred to the right shoulder blade.
- Jaundice; skin and whites of eyes turn yellow.
What causes it?
- Being overweight increases your risk of gallstones by 600 per cent.
- A low fibre and high-fat diet places you at risk. Gallstones are unheard of in countries with high-fibre and low-fat diets.
- Certain foods can trigger an attack, especially eggs and fatty food.
- There is an increased risk for pregnant women and those taking the oral contraceptive pill.
- Gall-bladder attacks can occur after sudden weight loss.
- Gallstones are in your genes.
What to do
The surgical removal of the gall bladder (cholecystectomy) is a routine procedure via keyhole surgery. The gall bladder is not an essential organ, however, it’s nice to retain all your original bits and pieces if possible. If they do not pose an immediate threat, you can live quietly at peace with your gallstones, especially by following the recommendations below.
Although many cholecystectomies are very successful and patients are trouble-free thereafter, there are a certain percentage of people who have difficulty digesting fats after the operation. Many of the suggestions below can help.
Diet
- Drink plenty of water. At least 2 litres a day. This is most important to keep the bile from becoming too concentrated.
- First thing each morning, drink a cup of hot water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed into it. Good for liver, good for gall bladder, good for you.
- Eat plenty of high-fibre foods including vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
- Restrict high-fat foods including yellow cheese, butter and margarine, fatty cuts of meat, chicken skin, deli meats (such as salami and devon), highly spiced foods and pastries, biscuits and cakes. The gall bladder constricts more with high-fat food. Interestingly, the good fats found in nuts, seeds, fish and avocadoes don’t pose a threat.
- Eat steamed or raw vegetables, fruit, brown rice, oats, wholemeal breads, fruit, chicken without skin and fish.
- Increase bitter vegetables in the diet such as rocket, kale and artichokes. Bitters stimulate the liver to create more bile, and improve bile flow.
- Foods that are particularly good for the gall bladder include turmeric, artichoke, dandelion root, grapefruit, pears and lemons.
- Your daily vegetable juice should combine carrot, beetroot (including the leaves) and cucumber.
- Develop a hankering for dandelion tea; it is good for both liver and gall bladder health.
The old chestnut that keeps being rolled out for gallstones is the ‘olive oil and lemon juice flush’ that claims to dissolve gallstones. Literally. Not only will this not dissolve gallstones, it may likely cause a gall bladder attack. Not to be done at home. Or anywhere.
