Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder, an organ responsible for helping the body digest fat by storing and eliminating bile. In many cases, gallstones that block the tube leading out of your gallbladder cause cholecystitis. Other causes include a traumatic event, infection or tumor. A high fat diet has been linked to cholecystitis. People with sedentary lifestyle habits are also at higher risk of developing gallstones.
High Fat Diet
Eating a diet high in fat puts you at risk for developing gallstones. Eating foods high in fat also ups your chances of gaining weight and becoming overweight or obese. MayoClinic.com suggests keeping your total fat intake to between 20 and 35 percent of your daily calorie intake. Saturated fats, found in meat, butter, vegetable oil, full fat dairy products and processed foods, should comprise fewer than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake. Trans fats, also known as industrial fats because of how they're processed, are the least healthy. Trans fats should make up less than 1 percent of your daily calorie intake, or less than 2 g a day.
Exercise
There's no doubt that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain, but scientists are trying to prove that lack of exercise can increase the chances of gallstone formation and affect genes involved in the metabolism of bile cholesterol. In preliminary studies of laboratory mice, researchers from the University of Illinois in Urbana assigned one group of animals to exercise training and the second group to sedentary activities. The group that ran on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day for 12 weeks had gallstones that were 2.5 times smaller than stones in the sedentary mice. The researchers theorize that exercise promotes beneficial changes in the way liver processes cholesterol and can help inhibit gallstone growth. A study published in August 2010 in the "European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology" found that high levels of physical activity were associated with a 70 percent decreased risk of developing gallstones.
Weight Gain
People who are already overweight or obese are at higher risk for developing gallstones and cholecystitis. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, obese women are especially at risk for this condition. People who are overweight have lower levels of bile salts in their bile, which results in more cholesterol. Increased amounts of cholesterol can interfere with the gallbladder's ability to empty.
Dieting
While dropping excess fat and getting to a normal weight could decrease your chances of developing gallstones, yo-yo dieting, a cycle of losing and gaining weight, can negate your efforts. A study published in 2006 in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" followed nearly 25,000 men for 10 years. Those who habitually lost and gained 5 to 9 lbs. had a 21 percent higher risk of developing gallstones. Men whose weight loss cycled between 10 to 19 lbs. were at a 38 percent increased risk. Men who gained and lost more than 20 lbs. were 76 percent more likely to develop stones. If you're feeling tempted to permanently slash your calorie intake and keep the weight off permanently, it's important to avoid skipping meals. Not eating regularly lowers contractions in the gallbladder and promotes stone formation.
References
- Medical News Today: What Is Cholecystitis? What Causes Cholecystitis?; November 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Gallstones and gallbladder disease - Prognosis and Complications; June 26, 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fats: Know Which Types to Choose; February 15, 2011
- "European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology"; Physical Activity Reduces the Risk of Symptomatic Gallstones; Banim, Paul J.R.a b, et al; August 2010
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Endurance Exercise Training Reduces Gallstone Development in Mice; Kenneth R. Wilund, et al; March 2008
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Gallstones
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