The gallbladder is a small organ found in the abdomen, below the liver. The main function of the gallbladder is to store a substance called bile, which is produced by the liver. Bile is then released into the small intestine to aid in the digestion of fats. Weight loss, particularly rapid weight loss or frequent cycles of weight loss and weight gain, can have several effects on the gallbladder.
Altered Bile Salt Concentration
Dieting, especially very low-calorie diets of 800 calories per day or less, can potentially cause a change in the concentration of cholesterol and bile salts in the gallbladder, reports the Weight-Control Information Network of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Dieting can increase cholesterol levels and decrease bile salt levels in the bile, which can cause health complications. Dieting may also reduce gallbladder contractions, meaning the gallbladder does not empty bile salts into the small intestine.
Increased Risk of Gallstones
The change in concentration of cholesterol and bile salts in the gallbladder can increase the risk of gallstone formation. Gallstones are tiny, rock-like deposits that form in the gallbladder. Roughly one-third of people who develop gallstones from rapid weight loss exhibit symptoms; the rest may experience no symptoms. People who lose more than 24 percent of their body weight, or more than 3.3 pounds in one week, are at the highest risk of developing gallstones, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Increased Symptoms of Gallstones
Rapid weight loss in a short period of time may also cause existing gallstones that were not causing symptoms to start exhibiting symptoms, according to the Weight-Control Information Network of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Symptoms of gallstones include nausea, vomiting, indigestion, upper abdominal pain or pain under the right shoulder. Gallstones that cause severe symptoms may require surgery.
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