What are gallstones?
Gallstones occur from an imbalance in the composition of bile. The fluid called bile is formed in the liver, and consists of cholesterol and waste (including bilirubin). Bile is collected in the gall bladder close to the liver. The imbalance in bile is caused by the equilibrium of the substances tipping too much towards high cholesterol content, which results in cholesterol crystals, which are the cause of gallstones. The stones grow larger as more and more substances bind to them, and they end up consisting of cholesterol, gall pigment and calcium.
Gallstones often cause pain, and some suffer from and nausea and high fever/jaundice. If you have not been diagnosed with gallstones, but still experience jaundice, seek medical advice immediately. Jaundice is due to increased bile pigment in the body. It causes your skin and eyes to turn yellow, while your body starts to itch.
But how do you get gallstones?
There is no doubt that obesity is a dominant factor in human health, and that it increases the risk of forming stones in the bile ducts. Therefore it is very important for you to follow a healthy diet or to lose weight if you are overweight.
Weight loss and exercise
It is important not to lose weight too quickly, as a fast weight loss can actually trigger gallstones. Weight loss should instead occur slowly, and it is important to continue to exercise no matter how much you lose a week.
Diet
Diet is an important factor for our health, and what we eat also plays an important role for the gall bladder. However, you do not have to eat fruits and vegetables all the time, as it is actually important to ingest fat. However, this does not mean saturated fat, but monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, canola oil, avocado and fish oil.
Another way to reduce the risk of gallstones is to eat nuts, such as peanuts and almonds. You should also avoid consuming too much sugar, and instead try to find alternative foods with low sugar content.
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