THE changing trend of eating patterns, the dietary factors in the diet and today’s sedentary lifestyle can be associated with gallstone occurrences.

The choice of foods and the weight status puts one at risk, especially in obese people.

What causes gallstones?

The gallbladder stores and releases bile acid into the intestine to digest dietary fats and cholesterol that we eat.

Stone is formed in the gallbladder when bile acid is combined with cholesterol. Hence, reducing fat and cholesterol intake reduces risk of stone formation.
There are a few simple dietary practices that can be adopted to reduce risk of gallstones.

High Fibre Diet

Good intake of high fibre and complex carbohydrate foods helps to maintain optimum bile acids concentration.

Reduce the intake of sugar, white rice, white bread and replace with high fibre foods such as brown rice, cereal, vegetables, fruits and whole grain products.

Certain vegetables such as beans, onions, cabbage, root vegetables might produce gas in the stomach and cause discomfort for those who already have gallstones.

Low Fat, Low Cholesterol Diet

Reduce intake of foods that are high in cholesterol and fat .

Avoid deep fried foods, animal fat and bakery products as they are high in saturated fat which can combine with bile acids to form stones.

Select lean meat, remove all visible fat from meat and discard poultry skin before cooking.

Replace animal based protein with plant based protein regularly in your diet to reduce cholesterol intake. Try to modify your food preparation method by using less oil in cooking.

Type of Protein Sources

Animal based protein meat, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, egg, yoghurt, etc.

Plant based protein beans, soy products, bean curd, seaweed, fucuk, lentil, nuts and seeds.

Healthy Body Weight

Maintaining a healthy body weight is a first line prevention and treatment of gallstone.

Moderate intensity exercise such as jogging, running and brisk walking help reduce the risk of gallbladder disease.

If you are overweight or obese, ensure that your exercise regime is consistent and weight loss is gradual to avoid imbalance of bile acids production.

Adequate Fluid

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to maintain healthy bile concentration. Caffeine drinks and alcohol induce gallbladder contraction and aggregate the discomfort.

If you have gallstones, try to avoid coffee, tea, carbonated drinks until the stones are resolved.

Diet plays a major role in reducing the risk of gallstones. Maintaining ideal weight for your height with regular exercise and adopting a high fibre diet are an essential ways to reduce the risk of gallbladder disease.

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Sophia Wong, a dietitian at Subang Jaya Medical Centre, is also a member of the Malaysian Dietitians’ Association. This article is courtesy of Malaysian Dietitians’ Association.