Gallstones
Gallstones and gallbladder health
Gallstones—small cholesterol formations that sometimes develop inside the gallbladder—can become extremely painful. They become increasingly painful and hazardous to one's health as they grow from pebble size to, in some cases, as large as an egg.
Gallstones are a common gallbladder disease, though women are more likely to develop them, especially when they are either pregnant, taking birth control pills or on hormone replacement therapy. Men or women who have undergone gastric bypass surgery or have low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and high triglyceride levels are also gallstone-prone.
The gallbladder is attached to the liver and serves to store and concentrate bile fluid, a digestive fluid the liver releases to break down acid and fat in half-digested foods. When you consume large amounts of cholesterol, your gallbladder crystallizes compounds in the bile. The result is the hard, small rocks we call gallstones.
The Dangers of Gallstones
Gallstones do not in themselves harm your physical health. You will probably not even know you have them. Unless, that is, they happen to lodge in any of the bile ducts—when that happens, gallbladder pain will occur.
Gallstones that lodge in the ducts are not only painful, but they also increase your chances of developing certain diseases and conditions, such as pancreatitis. Therefore, medical attention is necessary. Doctors will generally order a cholecystectomy, a gallbladder surgery to remove the troublesome gallstones.
Preventing Gallstones
It is important to stay active and to closely monitor your Body Mass Index—less body fat and, of course, less cholesterol lead to a lower overall risk of gallstones.
A gallbladder diet to help keep gallstones at bay will be nutrient-rich and moderate on fat and calories—very low-calorie, low-fat and fat-free diets concentrate bile in the gallbladder and are just as bad as high-fat, high-cholesterol ones as far as gallstones are concerned. Crash dieting is a bad idea, as well.
Consume whole grains and copious amounts of fiber; daily fiber intake will help get rid of the excess cholesterol, which will slow gallstone formation. Nuts are always a healthy snack to consume. Sunflower seeds good, also; they contain linoleic acid, which helps fend of gallstones.