Although gallstones can occur without symptoms, they can cause pain on the upper right side of the abdomen following meals, nausea and vomiting. Because appetite can suffer or be lost due to bladder stones, eating enough of the right ingredients for your condition becomes crucial. Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, foods high in B vitamins and iron and foods high in fiber without saturated fats is important.
Foods High in Fiber
Choosing a high-fiber diet that includes whole grains such as wheat, oats, bran, rye and barley may help prevent more gallstones from forming. Refined foods, such as pastas, sugar and white breads, are to be avoided. Flaxmeal can be a good choice in augmenting the fiber in your diet. Drink 1 tsp. of flaxmeal added to a glass of apple juice three times a day. Care should be taken with dried beans, onions, corn and oranges because they can provoke an attack if you are allergic to these foods. Consult your doctor or registered dietitian for which high-fiber foods belong in your diet.
Foods High in B-Vitamins and Iron
A diet for bladder stones includes foods high in B vitamins and iron. These include whole grains but also dark-green, leafy vegetables, such as kale, arugula, collard greens, dandelion greens, chicory, mustard greens, Swiss chard and spinach. Sea vegetables and seaweeds, such as kelp, hijiki and nori, also provide these nutrients.
Antioxidant Foods
Antioxidant foods protect the body against damage and are good choices for a bladder stone diet. These include, but are not limited to, acai, prunes, pomegranates, dark-colored grapes, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, kiwi, grapefruit and bananas. Juices made from these fruits are good diet choices. Antioxidant vegetables include kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, red bell peppers, squash, beets, eggplant, broccoli flowers and alfalfa sprouts.
Lean Meats, Fish and Nuts
Because gallbladder stones are composed of crystallized cholesterol and bile salts, it is important for people with bladder stones to avoid saturated fats and fatty meats. The bile of some obese individuals is super-saturated with cholesterol, which promotes the formation of gallstones. Good lean protein sources are lean meats, cold water fish, beans and tofu. The trans fats found in commercially baked donuts, cookies, cakes, and crackers should be avoided, as well as onion rings, french fries, margarine and all processed foods.
Nuts contain healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats that help control blood cholesterol. Including these in your diet may prevent the need for gallbladder surgery. According to the Harvard Medical School, there is evidence that women who ate several servings of nuts per week were less likely to need gallbladder surgery.
Healthy Cooking Oils
Healthy cooking oils are a must for a gallbladder diet. Butter, lard and margarine should be replaced by olive oil and vegetable oils to avoid the build-up of fats that can promote gallbladder attacks.
Water
It is important to drink copious amounts of water and other fluids, such as vegetable and fruits juices. Freshly pressed grape juice can be consumed to flush out the urinary system. Bladder stones are less likely to form the more diluted the urine is.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Gallstones
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Gallbladder Disease
- Chiff: Gall Bladder Problems: Counterattack with a Low-Fat Diet
- Gallbladder Attack: Gallstone Diet
- Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: What to do about Gallstones
- University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics: Bladder Stones
