Gallstones are formed when bile produced by the liver contains too much cholesterol or salts which cause the bile to harden. Bile is formed in the liver and stored in the gallbladder and later secreted into the small intestines where it aids in the digestion of fat. There are many causes of the formation of gallstones, but the most common are liver damage and nutritional problems from food which both lead to poor quality bile. Gallstones are more likely to occur the older we get, but many gallstones cause no symptoms unless they block the duct leading to the small intestine. The most common symptoms of gallstones include intense pain in the upper right section of the abdomen, pain under the right shoulder, diarrhea caused by poor fat digestion in food, and fever. Gallstones lodged in the duct leading to the small intestines is a medical emergency because it causes bile to backup into the bloodstream, where it can cause serious complication in other parts of the body.
As mentioned, gallstones are caused by either a damaged liver, poor food choices, or a combination of both. The most common cause of liver damage is alcoholism. While the liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol and preventing it from causing damage to other parts of the body, the liver can become damaged from being overworked. This results in the liver not being able to function at it’s other major purpose, which is producing bile. One of the easiest and most understood ways of preventing gallstones is to avoid over consumption of alcohol. A healthy liver produces healthy bile.
Poor nutrition is the other leading cause of gallstones. The two biggest problems with nutrition are caused because of the function of bile and because of the composition of bile. The purpose of bile is to help digest fat. If the bile that is released by the gallbladder is not used in the small intestines, it is reabsorbed by the body and can be used later. Diets that are high in fat require that the bile be used, and therefore, less is returned to the liver. Because of this, the liver has to produce more bile. As more and more bile is required, the quality of the bile that is produced by the liver diminishes which leads to bile that is high in cholesterol and salt that form gallstones. By reducing the amount of fat in the diet, it means a larger percentage of the bile is returned to the liver unused. Thus high fat foods such as red meat, deep-fryed food and high fat dairy products should be avoided.
Since cholesterol is a leading ingredient in bile, it would follow that excessive levels of cholesterol in the body would lead to higher than normal levels in the bile, which then form gallstones. Eating foods that are low in cholesterol will reduce the formation of gallstones because the bile will have the proper ratio of components. Besides eating less high cholesterol foods to prevent gallstones, there are some foods that actually can lower cholesterol levels and thus prevent gallstones. These foods are foods that are high in fiber, or in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acides. Foods high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables and oatmeal will actually trap cholesterol that is ingested and prevent it from being absorbed by the body. In this situation, the cholesterol leaves the body in feces and never makes it to the bloodstream or liver. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are found mainly in fish, nuts and seeds. These fatty acids reduce the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream, which protects the body from gallstones.
