What Are The Benefits Of A Vegan Diet On The Gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small sac that sits under the liver and stores bile that is produced by the liver. Bile is an acid that helps your body digest fats. This bile is released by the gallbladder into the small intestine in response to fat in your food. As you age, there is a greater risk of developing gallbladder disease or conditions that result in pain, discomfort and problems digesting fats. Whether you experience gallbladder disease or not, a vegan diet has benefits for your gallbladder.

Gallbladder Disease

Gallstones affect the gallbladder and are experienced by 10 to 15 percent of the population in the United States, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. Almost 1 million new cases of gallstones are diagnosed annually. Another type of gallbladder disease is an inflammation of the gallbladder, also called cholecystitis. Dr. Ronald Hoffman, author and complementary medicine specialist, lists factors that contribute to the development of gallbladder disease and include age, gender, diet, obesity and slow movement of food through the intestines.

Low Fat, Low Sugar

Foods that are high in fat and sugar place added stress on the gallbladder and liver to produce and store bile acid to digest the foods. Vegan foods that are naturally low in fat and white sugar will reduce stress on the gallbladder. Hoffman says that the link between the high-fat, Western diet and gallbladder disease was first written about in the 1940s when people from Saudi Arabia suffered a 600 percent increase in gallbladder disease after the introduction of a Western diet high in fats and sugars.

The American Heart Association recommends that a person eating a 2,000-calorie daily diet eat no more than 70 g of total fat per day. For those who are suffering from gallbladder disease, Wake Surgical Center in North Carolina recommends eating a fat-restricted diet of no more than 50 g of fat per day. Eating a vegan diet will naturally reduce your total fat intake when you are not eating processed foods.

Bile Secretion

A vegan diet will meet the needs of a low-fat and low-sugar diet to reduce bloating, swelling, diarrhea and pain from eating foods that are high in fats. This diet will also reduce the amount of bile acids required for digestion and help those who suffer from gallbladder disease. According to physicians at the University of Pennsylvania Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, gallstones can block the flow of bile from the gallbladder into the intestines. This blockage can result in the gallstone being passed without assistance or blocking the duct completely, allowing bile to leak into the bloodstream instead.

Protein

Eating a vegan diet requires vigilance to obtain an appropriate amount of protein that is low in fat and does not increase your gallbladder symptoms. Vegetarians and vegans can get all of the essential amino acids they need when they eat a combination of grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits throughout the day. Each of these products is low in fat and do not contain saturated or trans fats. This means they are not difficult to digest and are therefore beneficial for your gallbladder. The key to getting enough protein on a vegan diet is in combining a variety of foods throughout the day and not relying on one specific food.