Gallstone disease affects over 25 million Americans, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. Gallstones are produced in the gallbladder, a small digestive organ that stores and releases bile produced by the liver. Your liver takes cholesterol from food you eat, binds it with compounds in bile, and then passes it to your gallbladder. The gallbladder stores and then excretes the bile into food as it passes through your stomach. Cholesterol or bile pigment can harden into tiny stones while the bile is stored in the gallbladder. These stones can become lodged in ducts, the lower intestines or the pancreas, causing infection and inflammation.
Symptoms
About half the people with gallstones don't develop symptoms, according to Jackson/Siegelbaum Gastroenterology. Those that do can experience severe pain. Pain may occur in the upper-middle part of the upper abdomen, the right shoulder, the upper back below the ribs or in the right shoulder. Attacks may last a few minutes to several hours. Gallstones can cause indigestion, nausea and vomiting in response to fatty foods. Stones can inflame the gallbladder and cause acute pain in the upper right abdomen, a condition known as cholecystitis. If stones block the duct leading from the gallbladder to the stomach, bile backs up into the liver and makes its way into the bloodstream. Your skin turns yellow, and your urine may become dark.
Fiber
Foods that contain high amounts of fiber aid digestion, scrub the intestines and lower levels of bad cholesterol. High-fiber foods include vegetables, fresh fruits, dried fruits, whole-grain products such as whole-wheat bread, whole-grain and bran cereal and oat meal. These foods will not eliminate gallstones, but they may reduce the risk of developing more.
Sugary and Starchy Foods
High consumption of sugar may heighten the risk for gallstones, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. Foods made from flour, or processed wheat, quickly release carbohydrates, which are converted into sugar. Processed white bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, cakes, pie crusts and processed grain cereals contain quickly metabolized starch. Certain vegetables contain starch as well, including corn, yams, squash, green peas and potatoes.
Non-fat Dairy
Foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fat or trans fat increase bad cholesterol and foster development of gallstones. Minimize your consumption of eggs. Reduce or eliminate processed and prepared foods that are made with eggs, margarine, butter, lard or oil. Reduce your intake of high-fat dairy foods, such as butter, ice cream, whole-milk yogurt, cheese and whole milk. Instead use low- or non-fat alternatives, such as skim milk or non-fat yogurt.
Lean Meats
Animal meats and meat products can contain high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat. Avoid animal organs like liver and kidney, which are high in cholesterol. Eat only lean meats, including skinless turkey breasts and skinless chicken breasts, and lean cuts of beef, such as round steak, 95 percent lean ground beef, arm pot roast, strip steak and tenderloin steak, according to MayoClinic.com.
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