Gallbladder disease can be a very painful condition that may result in the surgical removal of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ just below your ribcage. The National Library of Medicine lists several types of gallbladder disease, including gallstones, cholecystitis or inflammation of the gallbladder and acalculous gallbladder disease, which means the gallbladder does not empty properly. Other conditions, such as tumors, cysts and birth defects may also cause bladder disease.
Fatty Foods
The gallbladder's job is to store and concentrate bile, a digestive juice made in the liver, and then squirt this bile into the small intestine when food is eaten. It takes more bile to digest fatty foods, so eating a big, greasy burger will stimulate the gallbladder more than a salad. This stimulation of the gallbladder may increase pain and other symptoms of gallbladder disease. Fatty foods include red meat, whole dairy products such as milk and cheese, and some types of seafood.
Fattening Foods
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases' service, the Weight-control Information Network, cites obesity as a risk factor in gallbladder disease. Lose weight quickly but at a rate safe enough for your condition. Eat a diet high in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains as a replacement for fast food, snacks and other fattening foods.
Hidden Fats
There are many hidden fats in the American diet, and fats can irritate an unhealthy gallbladder. Trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil in a process known as hydrogenation. It is done to lengthen the product's shelf life and to make foods more appealing by reducing greasy textures. Trans fats are found in shortenings, cookies, crackers and many snack foods. Stick margarines tend to have more trans fats than tub margarines.
Fried Foods
Some foods are fried in fat. Fried foods should be avoided in general, but food fried in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is higher in trans fat than those cooked in pure vegetable oil. Especially avoid foods that are high in fat before frying, such as candy bars and processed meat.
Large Meals
Avoid large, heavy meals that stimulate the gallbladder excessively. If necessary, eat many small meals to get your daily intake of vitamins and minerals.
Low-Fiber Foods
Fill your diet with high-fiber foods and avoid those foods that are low in fiber. Replace low-fiber white bread with whole-grain wheat bread, for example. The Mayo Clinic states that a low-fiber diet is a risk factor for developing gallstones.
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