What's the Best Diet After Gallbladder Removal?

Several of you have asked me to devote an episode to diet and nutrition following gallbladder removal. This is one of the most commonly performed surgeries--and it's getting more common. Not only that, but the average age at which the procedure is performed is trending down. As a result, there are more people running around the world without gallbladders, and for longer. 

The vast majority of people who undergo gallbladder removal do very well and go on to live normal lives. But the removal of this digestive organ does have some ongoing implications for your diet and nutrition. Before we talk about how you might want to adjust your diet following gallbladder removal, let's talk briefly about why this surgery is getting more common.

What is the gallbladder

The gallbladder is a small sac that stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by your liver. After you eat, the stored bile is pumped from the gallbladder into the small intestine, where it helps to break down fats in food so they can be absorbed.

If a gallstone completely blocks the bile duct, it can cause very serious complications, including inflammation, infection, and even damage to other organs such as the pancreas.

Sometimes, however, gallstones form in the gallbladder. Most gallstones are asymptomatic but about 20 percent of the time, they cause abdominal pain, often after eating. If a gallstone completely blocks the bile duct, it can cause very serious complications, including inflammation, infection, and even damage to other organs such as the pancreas. That's why doctors often recommend removing the gallbladder if people have recurring problems with gallstones.

Who gets gallstones? 

Women are more likely to suffer from gallstones than men and the risk increases with age. Gallstones have a genetic component, meaning that they tend to run in families. Certain ethnic groups are also more susceptible. In particular, Native American tribes indigenous to the Southwestern United States and people of Mexican heritage have a much higher incidence than non-Hispanic whites. People of African heritage have a much lower incidence. These links are referred to as non-modifiable risk factors—ones you can't do anything about. 

Rapid weight loss can trigger gallstones, so our societal addiction to extreme diets also plays a role.

But the reason that gallbladder disease is getting more common and affecting people earlier in life has to do with risk factors that we do have some control over. Gallstones occur more frequently in people...

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