Gallbladder removal, or cholecystectomy, is carried out if there are problems concerning the gallbladder. While you can live without your gallbladder (a lot of animals do not have gallbladders!), certain dietary changes have to be done in order to prevent discomfort. Needless to say, there are certain foods that you will need to dodge for life.
If you just had your gallbladder removed, this article is for you. Below you will come across some of the foods that you should refrain from having. Share this after checking it out to also let your family members and friends who might need to have their gallbladders removed know which foods they should steer clear of after the procedure.
Before we take a look at those foods to evade, let us first know the reason why they should be avoided.
Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped structure situated just below your liver. It serves as a storage space for bile, a liquid produced by the liver that’s needed for breaking down fat in the food you eat. Your liver keeps on producing bile and it’s collected by your gallbladder, releasing some of it into the small intestines as needed.
Because it is your liver that is actually producing bile and not your gallbladder, it’s very much possible for you to live without a gallbladder. However, this can cause a few digestive issues.
Since your gallbladder is no longer around after undergoing cholecystectomy, bile produced by your liver goes straight to your small intestines. This is true whether or not there is fat to digest. If there is no fat to digest, some of the bile may reach your large intestines. When that happens, you may experience diarrhea and abdominal pain.
And if there’s fat to digest, especially in large amounts, there could be problems as well. Since only small amounts of bile gets to the small intestines at a time, problems with digesting fat arise.
It’s therefore important for you to carefully mind what you eat after having your gallbladder removed. Here are some of the foods that you should refrain from consuming once you no longer have a gallbladder in order for you to avoid unnecessary problems concerning the digestive system:
Fried Foods
Definitely, you should no longer have fried foods the minute your gallbladder isn’t anymore around. Otherwise, you will experience abdominal distress as your digestive system is no longer capable of breaking down fat in fried foods. French fries, fried chicken, hash browns — these and many other fried foods are no longer allowed.
Greasy Foods
Just because something is not fried doesn’t mean it’s no longer fatty. There are certain foods that still contain tons of fat even if they’re baked or grilled. Some good examples include pizza, burgers and bacon. Certain sauces and dips are included, too! If what’s in front of you seems greasy, don’t touch it to be safe.
Vegetable Oils
It’s also important for you to avoid a lot of vegetable oils — corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, etc. — since they are also going to give your digestive system a hard time breaking them down. However, doctors say that a little olive oil or coconut oil is fine.
Convenience Foods
Most convenience foods you usually reach for when your stomach is grumbling are also off-limits now that you no longer have a gallbladder. Besides, it’s not just abdominal discomfort that you can evade if you quit snacking on the likes of cookies, potato chips, donuts, cakes and others, but also diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
