Gall Stones: what are they and can you prevent it?

I am constantly surprised by the number of people I meet with gallbladder stones.

So what are gallbladder stones and how can you prevent them?

Your gallbladder is a small organ that stores bile to help digest fats. Depending on what you have eaten, your gallbladder will produce the bile to digest food.

But if you are constantly calling for the bile to be produced, the cholesterol in the bile crystalizes. Over time, the crystals produced turn into stone. What you and I call gallbladder stones.

There is another culprit. Rapid weight loss, caused by fad diets, crash diets or unbalanced diets. Crash diets shock your system, leaving bile to clump up.

Yes, you guessed it, gallbladder stones form.

Genetics also play a role. If members of your family have had it in the past, you are more susceptible.

Finally, women, sorry to say, get hit more often, especially with hormonal shifts.

So, how do you reduce your risk?

Prevention’s your best friend. Start with your plate of food. Load up on fiber-rich foods like oats, veggies, and fruits. Yes, ignore those on social media who tell you otherwise.

Cut back on the high fat food, especially processed saturated fats.

Stay hydrated. Water keeps things flowing, reducing the probability of stones forming.

But what if you have had stones form already or worse had your gallbladder removed?

Your best bet is to eat slowly and mindfully. The bile is now being produced in the liver and takes just that little extra time to reach your digestive tract.

So eating slowly allows digestion, without which you are at risk to get acidity, heartburn, gas or indigestion.

Your liver is a warrior and will go many a mile to compensate for your gallbladder, but there is only that much that it can do.

Eating mindfully, in any case, regardless of whether you have gallstones or not is a great idea.

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