So when’s the last time you thought about your gallbladder? We’re going to place our money on “can’t remember” as the answer. There are a couple of reasons why you don’t think of your gallbladder like you do other organs including your stomach, heart, lungs and kidneys. Gallbladders cause problems in only a small minority of people, and they are not essential to your life.
If you are unlucky enough to suffer gallbladder pain, it is highly likely due to gallstones. While nothing in your diet develops gallstones, and nothing you eat can prevent gallstones, many foods can increase your risk of gallstones and exacerbate their symptoms. That means there are certain foods to avoid if you have gallbladder pain.
Causes of Gallstones
The gallbladder releases bile produced by the liver to help your system digest food. Gallstones can have three main causes.
- High levels of cholesterol in the bile that enters the gallbladder from your liver.
- Too much bilirubin in the bile. Bilirubin is produced when red blood cells break down.
- The gallbladder doesn’t empty properly through the bile duct. If the bladder doesn’t empty entirely, or frequently enough, excess bile can contribute to the formation of stones.
Foods to Avoid With Gallstones
While there are a number of risk factors for gallstones, including being female, your ethnicity and if you have liver disease. In any case, if you have gallbladder pain, you should stay away from the following foods.
- Vegetable oil and peanut oil
- Refined white foods like bread pasta and flour
- High-fat foods, especially saturated fats
- Processed foods
- Fried foods
If you have gallstones, your gallbladder won’t be working at peak efficiency. Many of the foods listed above are more difficult to breakdown, putting added stress on the gallbladder and aggravating the pain-causing conditions.
Eating a balanced diet of whole foods, including fruits and vegetables, will help you avoid the foods that can make your gallbladder pain worse, and help promote gallbladder health.
Cholesterol in your diet is another gallstone risk factor. Grape Defense grape seed extract can contribute to lower levels of cholesterol in your system.
If you liked this post, check out our recent article about five grape seed extract benefits.