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What can I do to lower my risk of gallstones?

If you are more likely than other people to get gallstones, you can take some steps to help lower your risk. We can't say for sure that these things will help because there hasn't been much research on them. But most doctors agree they are sensible things to do.

  • Try to stay a healthy weight. If you are
     
     
     
     
     
    obesity
    If your body stores more energy than you need for daily functioning, this can make you overweight. The excess energy is stored in your fat cells. If your weight goes above a certain level, doctors call this obesity. Obesity is considered a medical condition. The excess weight can be a strain on your bones and joints. And if you are obese, you're more likely to get other diseases. Doctors have developed a scale for telling how much excess weight you have. This measure, called the body mass index (BMI), depends on your height.
     
     
     
     
     
     obese, try to lose some weight.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Acalovschi M.
    Cholesterol gallstones: From epidemiology to prevention.
    Postgraduate Medicine. 2001; 77: 221-229.
     
     
     
     
     
     1 For more, see Obesity.
  • But don't crash-diet. If you need to lose weight, do it slowly. Aim to lose 1 or 2 pounds each week.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
    Dieting and gallstones
    Available at http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications (accessed 8 September 2006).
     
     
     
     
     
     2 If you have to lose a lot, ask your doctor how to do it safely.
  • Don't use a diet that is very low in
     
     
     
     
     
    calorie
    A calorie is a unit that is used to tell how much energy is found in food. But when we talk about how many calories food contains, we actually mean kilocalories, or kcal, which contain 1,000 "small" calories. When your body stores energy instead of using it, you get heavier. This is why you gain weight if you eat foods that are high in calories and the energy is stored instead of used. If your daily calorie intake is the same as the amount of energy your body uses up, your weight will remain the same. If you consume more calories than your body uses, you put on weight. Foods containing fat are high in calories.
     
     
     
     
     
     calories and fat. This may increase your risk of gallstones.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
    Dieting and gallstones
    Available at http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications (accessed 8 September 2006).
     
     
     
     
     
     2
  • Get regular physical activity. This can help you lose weight. And even half an hour of walking each day can boost your levels of good cholesterol. That's called HDL cholesterol.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Acalovschi M.
    Cholesterol gallstones: From epidemiology to prevention.
    Postgraduate Medicine. 2001; 77: 221-229.
     
     
     
     
     
     1
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Everhart JE.
    Gallstones.
    In: National Digestive Diseases Data Working Group. Digestive Diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact, National Institutes of Health, 1994.
     
     
     
     
     
     3
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    American Heart Association.
    Physical activity.
    Available at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563 (accessed 8 September 2006).
     
     
     
     
     
     4
  • Eat a Mediterranean diet. This kind of diet doesn't have much sugar in it. And it also doesn't have much of a bad kind of fat, called saturated fat.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Acalovschi M.
    Cholesterol gallstones: From epidemiology to prevention.
    Postgraduate Medicine. 2001; 77: 221-229.
     
     
     
     
     
     1
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Tsai CJ, Leitzmann MF, Willett WC, et al.
    The effect of long term intake of cis unsaturated fats on the risk for galls tone disease in men.
    Annals of Internal Medicine. 2004; 141: 514-522.
     
     
     
     
     
     5 To read more, see our information on Mediterranean diet in our articles on high cholesterol.
  • Don't skip breakfast. Going for a long time without eating can make your
     
     
     
     
     
    gallbladder
    The gallbladder is a small organ located below the liver on the right side of your abdomen. Its job is to store bile, a chemical made in the liver that helps to break down food in the intestines.The chemicals in the gallbladder can, under certain circumstances, become solid and form small stones. If a stone gets stuck in the tubes that empty the gallbladder, there can be a backup of fluid, causing the gallbladder to swell and possibly become infected. This condition is called gallbladder disease.
     
     
     
     
     
     gallbladder sluggish. This makes it more likely that you will get gallstones.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Acalovschi M.
    Cholesterol gallstones: From epidemiology to prevention.
    Postgraduate Medicine. 2001; 77: 221-229.
     
     
     
     
     
     1
  • Eat foods that have a lot of
     
     
     
     
     
    fiber
    Fiber is all the parts of your diet that your body can't absorb. This is why foods that are high in fiber make you have more bowel movements. When your body can't absorb something, it leaves your body in your stools. Foods high in fiber include wholemeal bread and cereals, root vegetables and fruits.
     
     
     
     
     
     fiber in them. These include fruit, vegetables and whole-grain foods, such as whole-grain bread and pasta, and brown rice.
  • If you drink alcohol, don't drink too much. That can harm your
     
     
     
     
     
    liver
    Your liver is a large organ that sits on the right side of your body, just below your rib cage. It does several important things, including processing and storing nutrients from food, and breaking down chemicals, such as alcohol.
     
     
     
     
     
     liver and increase your chances of getting gallstones.
     
     
     
     
     
    Source:
    Everhart JE.
    Gallstones.
    In: National Digestive Diseases Data Working Group. Digestive Diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact, National Institutes of Health, 1994.
     
     
     
     
     
     3

Sources for the information on this page:
  1. Acalovschi M.Cholesterol gallstones: From epidemiology to prevention.Postgraduate Medicine. 2001; 77: 221-229.
  2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Dieting and gallstonesAvailable at http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications (accessed 8 September 2006).
  3. Everhart JE.Gallstones.In: National Digestive Diseases Data Working Group. Digestive Diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact, National Institutes of Health, 1994.
  4. American Heart Association.Physical activity.Available at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563 (accessed 8 September 2006).
  5. Tsai CJ, Leitzmann MF, Willett WC, et al.The effect of long term intake of cis unsaturated fats on the risk for galls tone disease in men.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2004; 141: 514-522.
This information was last updated on May 12, 2009
BMJ Group
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2010. All rights reserved.
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