Gallbladder Infection Diet Information

Acute cholecystitis, or gallbladder inflammation, usually results from gallstone irritation and often leads to infection. The buildup of bile and bacteria in the gallbladder raises your risk for infection of the gallbladder and bile duct. If you suffer from gallstones, organ inflammation or more serious infection, you might need surgical gallbladder removal. Following a low-fat diet can help you prevent the gallstone complications that cause infection or recover your health after surgery.

Considerations

Overweight conditions are risk factors for gallbladder problems. A low-fat diet that limits total calories will help you lose weight and minimize gallbladder symptoms and infection potential. Your doctor can customize an exercise and diet plan to help you achieve or stick to a healthy weight while taking into account any additional medical needs. If you have surgery to remove an infected gallbladder, you might be placed on a liquid diet for some time before moving to a solid diet of low-fat foods.

Limiting Fat Intake

Restricting your fat intake, especially saturated fat, can ease the conditions that provoke gallbladder infection. Consuming less fat allows you to derive more of your daily calories from dietary fiber, a nutrient that improves digestion. Eating less meat and more fruits and vegetables, for instance, helps you achieve this purpose. Your doctor may suggest reducing your saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of your total calories, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To do so, add up the calories from all the foods that you eat in a day, calculate how many come from saturated fat and then plan your future menus accordingly.

Foods to Eat

Make food selections at the store by comparing package labels and finding the lower-fat items in each food group. Plan meals beginning with a variety of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, which tend to have the lowest calories and saturated fat content. Use whole grains such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread, to increase your fiber intake over that of refined grains, such as white rice and bread, within the same calorie counts. Choose protein foods, which may have larger amounts of fat, carefully. Seafood, cooked dry beans, small servings of nuts, beef or pork loin cuts and skinless poultry represent low-fat protein group foods, while 1 percent and nonfat milk, yogurt and cheese are acceptable low-fat sources of calcium in the dairy group.

Foods to Avoid

Saturated fat is difficult for your body to break down during digestion. If your gallbladder is infected, obstructed by gallstones or has been removed, the less-concentrated bile in your liver may have to perform this task. Avoid fried foods and fatty meats such as spareribs and double-patty hamburgers. Don't drink whole milk or eat too much full-fat cheese or ice cream. Avoid refined white-flour products such as commercial cakes and breads or high-sugar cereals. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that these foods are converted to glucose in your body, which can increase your weight and your risk for the gallstones that precipitate infection.