Gallbladder Diet Related Links

What is a Gall Bladder?

Note: If you think you have a gall bladder problem please visit a qualified medical professional.

The gall bladder is a small pear-shaped sac situated under the liver and we are not sensing its presence. Most of us do not know its importance. The bile produced by the liver is stored in the gall bladder. The gall bladder receives bile from the liver, stores and concentrates it, and delivers it to the intestine as required. It is a slate-blue sac, partly sunken in a groove on the under surface of the right lobe of the liver. It is 7-10 cm long, 3 cm in maximum breadth. Under usual circumstances, it has a 30-50 ml capacity. Bile acids and other constituents of bile produced in the liver are carried to the gall bladder via the hepatic and cystic ducts. When fatty food passes from the stomach into the intestine, the gall bladder is stimulated to contract by cholecystokinin, a hormone released from the lining of the intestine. Concentrated bile is then released into the intestine via the cystic and common bile ducts. It helps in the emulsification of fats. The efficiency of this system is enhanced by the reabsorption of bile acids from the intestine, minimizing the quantity lost in the faeces. Reabsorbed bile acids are then carried by the bloodstream back to the liver, where they are available for further recycling into the bile. If the gall bladder has to be removed, unconcentrated bile drains directly into the intestine from the liver, but in most people digestion of fatty food can still occur quite adequately.

II. What does the gall bladder do?

The Gall bladder is very small, but it gets stimulated every time we eat and releases bile into the intestine. Bile is necessary for the proper digestion of food. If there is no bile or if it is present in less than the required amount, food digestion will be impaired and we have to suffer from a host of troubles like nausea, vomiting, heart-burn, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. Long term problems with food digestion can lead to some very serious health issues. When the gall bladder is diseased or has some other kind of malfunctioning, bile production will be affected in an adverse way. Apart from disease, weight concerns are also responsible for gall bladder health problems.

III. What types of foods should you eat if you have a bad gall bladder?

Recommended diet for gall bladder disease

• Avoid fatty or fried foods and red meat. Substitute your salad dressings with vinegar and olive oil.
• Avoid large meals especially during bed time.
• Avoid carbonated drinks as they can trigger the movement of the stone causing more pain.
• Do not go in for binge or purge diets. Slow, steady weight loss is the key to a healthy body.
• Use low fat diary products such as skim or low fat milk, reduce fat cheeses and fat yogurt
• Partake of leaner meats and make sure to remove fat before cooking.
• Take fish oil capsules - It contains omega 3 oils which are known to block cholesterol formation in bile
• If you are cooking at home, add ginger and turmeric to the gall bladder diet. Turmeric enhances the flow of bile while ginger aids in the digestion of fat.
• Take more vegetables fruits and grains as they contain lots of fiber.

Best Approach

Use Special gall bladder diet: Includes intake of fruits and vegetables like sweet potato, Apples, Apricots ,Lemons, Figs, Guavas, Pears, Grapes ,Currants ,Prunes, Papaya, Melons Coconuts, Berries.
Lose excess weight: Lose excess diet, but don’t crash diet. Rapid weight loss contributes to the formation of gallstones.

Eat a healthy diet: A diet that is low in fat, low in cholesterol, low in sugar, and high in fiber will help prevent gallbladder disease. Fat, cholesterol, and sugar all contribute to gallbladder disease. Slow intestinal transit can be prevented by increasing fiber in the diet. And eat more vegetables.

Avoid food triggers: There is a correlation between gallbladder attack symptoms and certain foods in people who are sensitive to them. Be on the lookout for food triggers.

Take fish oil and nutrients: Omega-3 oil, found in fish, may block cholesterol formation in bile. People with a tendency toward gallstones can take a higher dose than normal: four to six 1000-milligram capsules of fish oil a day. Lecithin has an emulsifying effect on bile, and taurine, an amino acid, binds to bile salts and accelerates their elimination.

Diet Meal Plan

The patient should eat frequent small meals rather than three large meals. The following is the suggested menu for those suffering from gall-bladder disorders:

Upon arising:

A glass of lukewarm water mixed with lemon juice and honey or fresh fruit juice.

Breakfast:

Fresh fruit, one or two slices of whole meals toast and a cup of skimmed powder milk.

Mid-morning:

Fresh fruit juice.

Lunch:

Vegetable soup, a large salad consisting of vegetables in season with dressing of lemon or vegetable oil. Fresh fruit for dessert, if desired.

Dinner:

Vegetable juice, one or two lightly cooked vegetables, baked potato, brown or unpolished rice or whole-wheat wheat tortilla and a glass of buttermilk.

Treatment Chart for Gall Bladder Disorders

Diet

Fast on raw juices for five days. Take a glass of juice diluted with water every two hours during the day and use warm water enema to cleanse the bowels.

After the juice fast, adopt a lacto-vegetarian diet on the following lines:-

1. Upon arising: 30 ml. Of olive oil and follow it immediately with 120 ml. of lemon juice or grapefruit juice.

2. Breakfast: Fresh fruit, one or two slices of whole meal toast and a cup of skimmed milk.

3. Mid-morning: Carrot juice or lemon juice.

4. Lunch: Vegetable soup, a large salad consisting of vegetables in season with dressing of lemon juice or vegetable oil. Fresh fruit for dessert, if desired.

5. Mid-afternoon: A glass of carrot or lemon juice.

6. Dinner: Vegetable soup or juice, one or two steamed vegetables, brown rice or whole wheat tortilla and a glass III buttermilk.

Avoid: All meats, eggs, animal fats, sugar, white flour, all products made from them processed and denatured foods, fried and greasy foods, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, tea, coffee, spices, condiments, pickles and smoking.