Foods to Avoid With Gall Stone

According to the National Institutes for Health, 1 in 10 people in the United States suffers from gallstones, making them the most common digestive condition in the U.S. Though many of those people never know they have gallstones, more than 500,000 people undergo gallbladder surgery each year because of gallstones. Though there are a number of factors that can affect the formation of gallstones in the body, certain foods may contribute to their formation more than others.

Facts

• Gallstones are formed when excess levels of cholesterol cause the bile in the gall bladder to break down into solid pieces, or stones, instead of liquid. Usually, the gall bladder drains the bile from the liver and breaks it down, sending it out the bile ducts to be processed by the body. In some cases, however, the cholesterol present in the bile turns into a solid mass, called a gallstone. In some people, a diet that includes high levels of cholesterol can contribute to gallstone formation. The stones can cause abdominal pain, nausea, indigestion and other discomfort. Unlike kidney stones, which move through the urinary tract and out of the body, gallstones need intervention to be removed.

Risk Factors

• Diets high in cholesterol may contribute to the formation of gallstones. Certain other conditions can also make a person more likely to get gallstones. If you weigh more than recommended for your body weight, either because of obesity or pregnancy, you are more likely to get gallstones than a person who is at a healthy weight. Women in general are more likely than men to get gallstones, as are people with type 2 diabetes. Native Americans and people with sickle cell anemia have a higher risk of getting gallstones. Finally, if you have a family history of gallstones, it's more likely that you will have them, too.

Foods to Avoid

• Excess cholesterol in bile causes gallstones, so a person with gallstones should avoid eating foods that increase cholesterol. Even though blood cholesterol does not correspond to bile cholesterol, lowering the cholesterol in your diet can help manage gallstones.

  Avoid foods with trans fats, including fried foods and baked goods that contain partially hydrogenated oils. These oils increase the amount of "bad" cholesterol (or LDL) in the blood, while lowering the amount of "good" cholesterol (or HDL). It's also a good idea to lower the amount of animal fat in your diet, from meat and full-fat dairy sources. Animal fat is one of the biggest cholesterol contributors, and minimizing your intake may help with gallstones. If any food causes you stomach pain or discomfort, avoid it, whether it's on an official list of foods to avoid or not.

Considerations

• Though a healthy weight can play a role in controlling gallstone formation, keep in mind that extreme changes in weight can also lead to gallstone formation. A slow, steady weight loss is generally better for gallstone prevention than a quick one. A healthy, low-cholesterol diet and gradual weight loss plan are the best ways to prevent gallstones from forming. In general, maintaining a healthy weight is a better way to prevent gallstones than avoiding specific foods. Drinking plenty of water is also important, since it helps balance out cholesterol solids in the bile with liquid.

Foods to Eat

• A healthy, balanced diet, rich in fiber, fruits and vegetables, is the best diet for a person who has gallstones. If you're overweight, lowering your daily calorie intake to promote weight loss can also help manage gallstones.