Gallbladder Overview, Function, Location, and Healthy Diet

Table of content

• What is the Work of the Gallbladder?

• Where is the gallbladder located?

• 4 Common Issues that affect Gallbladder

• What are the symptoms of gallbladder problems?

• Best Gallbladder Diet

• Tips to Prevent Gallbladder Problem

• Take-home Points

• FAQ on Gallbladder Overview, function, location and healty diet?

Introduction 

Fats you eat don’t get digested very easily! Just like how you need the help of insulin to get the glucose stored up in the body, you need bile salts to help in breaking down the fats in food. The gallbladder is basically a factory that has all the bile juices stored up that aids in a good digestive process. So parallelly, we have many emerging gallbladder diseases due to poor food habits. This article explains the types of gallbladder disorders and gallbladder diet to counter the issue.

What is the Work of the Gallbladder?

Before diving into the gallbladder diet, you need to know the work of the gallbladder for understanding its role in the digestive system. The gallbladder is like a storage tank that stores and transports the bile juices which helps in the breaking down of the fats. The gallbladder is connected to the liver by bile ducts which in turn drains the bile juices to the small intestines. Without the gallbladder, your body can’t metabolise the fats. Before you eat, your gallbladder appears bigger, and the intake of food sends up the reflux signals to channel the bile juices to the liver. Thus, after digestion, the gallbladder appears like a deflated balloon.  

Where is the gallbladder located?

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped small organ. It is located just below the liver in the upper abdomen. The gallbladder is part of the digestive system just like the stomach, intestines, and oesophagus. 

4 Common Issues that affect Gallbladder

Several issues occur to the gallbladder, thereby restricting its functions. Among these, the gallbladder is the most common one. Some of the common gallbladder problems include,

1. Gallstones

Gallstones are stone-like objects which are made up of the bile pigments and cholesterol present in the gallbladder. These stones are present in variable sizes and usually are harmless. The issue occurs when these stones obstruct the bile ducts and cause abdominal pains. Many gallbladder stones in small sizes don’t bother negatively. 

2. Cholecystitis/Gallbladder attack

Here the gallstones block the bile duct, thereby bile salts can’t find a way out to the liver. The pain occurs on a regular pattern which can cause excruciating pain for 20 minutes to 1 hour. This requires immediate surgery to remove the stones or else it can cause fever and pain.

3. Gallstone Pancreatitis

Here the gallstones rather than obstructing the bile duct, block the pancreatic duct which is draining to the small intestine. This causes inflammation of the pancreas, thereby causing nausea, fever, and pain.

4. Gallbladder Cancer

These kinds of gallbladder disorders are relatively uncommon but if they occur, it starts as a pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen.

What are the symptoms of gallbladder problems?

Though the symptoms of gallbladder problems vary from person to person, these are some of the common ones,

• Upper right/mid-abdomen pain

• Upper abdominal pain spreading to the right shoulder or back

• Abdominal pain after eating foods

• Jaundice

• Fever and Chills

• Purple poop and light brown pee

• Nausea and vomiting

Best Gallbladder Diet

1. Foods to Eat for Gallbladder diet

The gallbladder is a relatively sensitive organ and not taking a healthy balanced diet can require the removal of it. To maintain proper digestive health, you need to have a proper gallbladder diet to help in its proper functioning. Here are some of the foods that should necessarily be present in your gallbladder diet plate,

Plant-based foods

Plant-based foods are usually loaded with pigments and antioxidants that prevent the toxins build up in the body. Toxins like free radicals can pose a serious threat to your health by increasing the chances of getting gallbladder cancers. So, make sure to make your plate look like a rainbow by adding all the coloured plant-based foods as the colourful ones are rich antioxidant sources.

Some healthy plant-based foods to include in your gallbladder diet include,

• Legumes

• Nuts

• Hemp seeds

• Flax seeds

• Chia seeds

• Tofu

• Seaweed

• Sprouted beans

Lean Proteins

Proteins have a reparative effect on your body. So, adding them to your diet is very essential for the holistic and homeostatic functioning of all the systems in the body. Lean proteins have very little fat content, thereby reducing the cholesterol buildup in the body. 

Some of the lean proteins worth adding to your gallbladder diet are,

• Beans

• Lentils

• Soy milk

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Poultry

• Fish

• Skimmed milk

Fibres

Fibres increase the ease with which the foods can pass through the intestines, thereby reducing the chance of secondary bile production. Not only this, but a fibre-rich diet also helps in reducing obesity. Reduced body weight means less cholesterol, thus restoring a healthy gallbladder function.

Fibre-rich foods that are good in the gallbladder diet are,

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Whole grains

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Legumes

Unsaturated fats

HDL (High-Density Lipids) and LDL (Low-Density Lipids) are two cholesterol's in the body where the former is called 'good' and the latter is called 'bad' cholesterol. Unsaturated fats help to bring down the ‘LDL’ or bad cholesterols. Decreasing the amount of LDLs mean lessening the load of harmful cholesterol that can affect the gallbladder or other vital organs. Since unsaturated fats are rich in HDLs they help in gallbladder diseases by bringing down LDLs. 

The gallbladder diet should have the sources of unsaturated fats from,

• Flax seeds

• Chia seeds

• Walnuts

• Salmon

• Mackerel

• Herring

• Sardines

• Soybean oil

• Canola oil

Vitamins

Antioxidants rich in vitamins like vitamin C and folates greatly help in regulating gallbladder functions by controlling cholesterol levels. Mostly, fruits and vegetables are rich in these enriching vitamins.

Some important vitamin C rich foods in your gallbladder diet should be,

• Oranges

• Peppers

• Strawberries

• Blackcurrants

• Broccoli

• Brussels sprouts

• Potatoes

And the folates rich food includes,

• Cabbage

• Kale

• Spring greens

• Spinach

• Chickpeas

• Kidney beans

• Livers

Minerals

Just like vitamins, certain minerals like calcium and magnesium highly help in building a healthy gallbladder. They do this by reducing the formation of bad cholesterols.

Some calcium-rich foods to add to the diet for your gallbladder health include,

• Dark green leafy vegetables

• Dried beans

• Peas

• Bony fishes

• Low-fat dairy products

• Papayas

• Orange

And some magnesium-rich foods include,

• Almonds

• Peanuts

• Black beans

• Lima beans

• Quinoa

• Spinach

• Whole grains

2. Foods to avoid for gallbladder diet 

If you are planning to ease your gallbladder problems, there are certain foods that you need to strike down in your diet. They are,

• Fried foods: French fries, samosa, chips, and poppers.

• Highly processed foods: Pizza, Doughnuts, pies, cookies, and burgers.

• Whole milk dairy products: Cheese, ice creams, and butter.

• Fatty red meat: Bacon, sausage, salami, and ham.

Tips to Prevent Gallbladder Problem

Prevention is always better than cure. Here are 4 effective tips to prevent gallbladder problems, 

• Avoid crash diets that have an intake of fewer than 800 calories/day. 

• Fill your plate with fibre-rich sources like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

• Avoid high-fat foods especially the ones with more saturated fats.

• Take the recommended level of protein levels which is 1g /kg of body weight. 

Take-home Points

• Gallbladder is located just below the liver on the right side of the abdomen which plays a major role in the digestion system by breaking down the fats using bile salts.

• Foods like fatty foods, processed foods, red meats, and whole fat dairy products can dysregulate the functions of the gallbladder.

• Some of the common gallbladder problems include gallbladder stones, Cholecystitis, Gallstone Pancreatitis, and Gallbladder Cancer.

• For planning a perfect gallbladder diet, you should know which foods need to include and what should be avoided.

• Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and unsaturated fats greatly help ease many of the gallbladder issues.

References

• Gallbladder Stones

• Role of Diet in Gallstone formation