The following foods are the most likely to cause a gallbladder attack in most people and should be avoided by those most at risk: Eggs (some people can tolerate poached or soft-boiled eggs), pork, onion, fowl, milk and other dairy products, coffee, grapefruit, oranges, beans (excluding green beans), nuts, corn, red meats, alcohol, saturated fats, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and trans-fats. Do not fry your foods.
Other potentially problematic foods to avoid include: black tea, chocolate, ice cream, fruit juice, margarine, carbonated beverages, tap water, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, oats, wheat, barley, rye, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, refined and bleached foods like white flour. Also you should avoid smoking. Do not overeat and do not eat under stress, if possible.
Avoid fatty or fried foods and red meat. On salads, substitute commercial dressings with vinegar – and olive oil – a ‘good’ fat.
Instead of large meals, eat small amounts of food during the day, and especially avoid any large meals at bedtime.
Avoid carbonated drinks, which can trigger the movement of the stones causing even more pain.
- potatoes, sometimes dairy products go on a gluten, wheat dairy free diet. the latter mite sound borin but compared to when i went on it it has changed quite a bit.
Avoid aggravating foods, including all fatty and fried foods. See Blueprint for Health, page xvii, for more information on eliminating fat from the diet.
Increase your fiber intake, particularly more of the following foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, and oat bran.
If you are overweight, lose weight on a sensible diet. Do not go on an extremely low-calorie diet, as this can exacerbate gallstones.
Be sure to drink six to eight glasses of water daily.
Eat a healthy breakfast daily.
Avoid caffeine.
6 Foods to avoid if you have gallstones
As we now know what the gallbladder does and why we need bile it makes it a bit clearer on types of food you should avoid to stave of an attack of gallbladder pain.
Eggs
Cholesterol is known as the primary cause of gallstone disease and eggs are high in cholesterol. It has been shown with clincial research that eggs have a high chance of causing gallstone attacks in most people after they have eaten them. So unfortunately eggs have been marked as one of the major foods that need to be avoided if you have gallstones.
Milk
Any milk and milk products such as yoghurt, cottage cheese, cheese, ice cream, butter and any food which has been processed and contains milk needs to be avoided. This is because milk does contain lots fats and as mentioned earlier when the fat enters your intestines it promotes the gallbladder to squirt the bile into your gut. When you have gallstones they block the duct and this causes the pain.
into your intestines. When you have gallstone disease, gallstones can block the passageway this bile is released through, causing pain.
There are forunately non fat versions of the above products available.
Red Meat
Red meats are again like milk high in fat and this can trigger your gallstone pain. All you need to do is replace your beef and port with other less fat saturated meats such as chicken with the skin and fat removed and even better fish.
Refined Grains and Sugars
These foodstuffs has been found following research that th consumption foods such as white sugar, white bread and flour, and white rice hs the possiblity of creating a higher volume of cholesterol in your bile than from a diet of unrefined foods, which include whole wheat bread and brown rice. So if you have gallstones opt for the unrefined products.
Coffee
Believe it or not but coffee does have an influence on your gallstone problems. Although coffee does not actively cause gallstone disease, it does create contractions in the gallbladder. SO, if you have a gallstone or more in your gallbladder it could spark off an attack when promoting these contractions. So, I am afraid coffee is off the list!
Allergies
Food allergies even if only mild can cause a reaction in the gallbladder. It is always wise to avoid any food that you are allergic to in any case.
These foods have also been identified to cause gallstone flare ups: onions, fruits, beans, nuts and even alcohol.
Milk Products
This includes milk, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, butter, whey, ice cream and any processed food which contains milk or any of the listed products. Milk contains lots of fats, and when fat hits your intestines, it causes the gallbladder to release bile into your intestines. When you have gallstone disease, gallstones can block the passageway this bile is released through, causing pain. You can substitute any of these products with nonfat versions.
Red Meats
Like milk products, red meats are high in fat content and can trigger a gallstone attack. It is better to replace red meats such as beef and pork with meats like chicken and fish. When eating chicken, make sure to remove the skin and fat.
Eggs
Eggs are high in cholesterol, which is the primary cause of gallstone disease. Cholesterol forms crystals in the gallbladder which in turn may become gallstones. In addition, clinical research has shown that eggs can cause gallstone attacks in most patients after consumption, making eggs one of the major foods that should be avoided by patients with gallstone disease.
Refined Grains and Sugars
Research shows that the consumption of refined foods such as white sugar, white bread and flour, and white rice can lead to a higher volume of cholesterol in your bile than through a diet of unrefined foods, such as whole wheat bread and brown rice. It is recommended to avoid all refined foods if you suffer from gallstone disease. You can substitute these foods with unrefined versions.
Coffee
While coffee does not cause gallstone disease, it does cause contractions in the gallbladder. When there is one or more gallstones in the gallbladder at the time of these contractions, it can cause a gallstone attack, making coffee a certainty to avoid if you have gallstone disease.
Allergens
While it makes sense that you should avoid any food you are allergic to anyways, it is especially important to avoid allergens when you have gallstone disease. Allergens cause a reaction in the gallbladder that can cause pain in the presence of a gallstone. So you must avoid any food that causes you allergies, even if it is only a minor allergy.
In addition to foods listed above, here are a number of other foods that have been known to cause gallstone attacks for various reasons: onions, citrus fruits, beans (other than green beans), nuts and alcohol. If you have problems with gallstone disease and have questions about any other kinds of food to avoid, consult with your physician.
The best foods to eat when you have gallstones are typically healthy ones. Prepare your foods by grilling, broiling, boiling, baking or poaching. Casseroles are normally also fine. Foods that normally do not cause problems include: beets, cucumbers, green beans, okra, sweet potatoes, avocados, vinegars, garlic, ripe tomatoes, shallots, cold water fish, lemons, grapes, apples, berries, papaya, pears, omega 3 oils and vegetable oils.
Safe foods to eat when you have gallstones also include: bread, cereals, pasta, rice and potatoes. However, it is important to prepare them without oils or fats.
Since many people eliminate coffee, tea, milk and fruit juice from the diet, a good breakfast drink is lemon juice in hot water.
