How to eat fat comfortably without digestive distress after gall bladder removal. This ensures adequate fat-soluble vitamins in the diet for optimal health and vitality.
How to eat fat comfortably after gallbladder surgery seems to be an increasingly common dilemma nowadays. You have to wonder if these people tried a simple, doctor-developed gall bladder cleanse before deciding to go under the knife.
Sadly, their practitioners probably never suggested this first.
Why in the world are so many people having problems with this small organ that aids in fat digestion by storing and concentrating bile produced by the liver?
Could the gallbladder laparoscopic surgery epidemic that is occurring even in young girls be related to our fat-phobic society? (1, 2)
Constantly eating rancid fats or avoiding healthy ones like butter has the potential to trigger a malfunctioning or atrophying organ from lack of proper use.
Whatever the reason, there are indeed a lot of folks walking around without a gallbladder. Many are under the incorrect impression that after removal they can no longer eat fats without digestive discomfort.
YES! You Can Eat Fat without a Gallbladder
The first thing to realize after gallbladder surgery is that you can most certainly still eat fat.
The bile necessary to digest most fat is made in the liver, not the gallbladder, and you still have a liver, right?
What you really need is a dietary strategy that compensates for the fact that your body no longer has a place to store and concentrate the bile.
The approach is similar to a person who has had her appendix removed. These people must replenish beneficial flora after intestinal illness because there is no longer a place where good bacteria remain secure during bouts of gastroenteritis.
Please note that the tips outlined below are also very helpful to those who have been eating lowfat for a long time and are just now coming around to the fact that whole, traditional fats in the diet are critical to health.
Many times, folks who start to embrace and eat a plentiful amount of fats again after many years of avoidance experience the same digestive challenges as someone after gallbladder surgery. It’s almost like their bodies have “forgotten” how to digest fats!
So whether you are adjusting to life after gallbladder surgery or simply trying to adjust to eating fats again, keep these tips in mind for making the transition that much easier.
Cholesterol Needed After Gallbladder Surgery
It is very important thing to realize after gallbladder surgery that you still need cholesterol to produce bile which assists with the digestion of regular long-chain fats and oils. Note that short or medium-chain triglycerides like coconut or palm oil do not require bile for digestion.
One of the benefits of cholesterol is the easy production of bile. The very foods that have sufficient and healthy quantities of cholesterol are those that are, you guessed it, quite fatty, like liver, egg yolks, cream, and butter. (3)
Avoiding fat after gallbladder surgery is potentially going to compound problems with digesting fat in the long run as you won’t be getting the healthy, unprocessed cholesterol you need to produce bile!
Do you see the vicious cycle that can occur if you avoid fat after gallbladder surgery?
Please note that this discussion does not include oxidized cholesterol like what is in pasteurized, homogenized dairy (UHT organic milk and skim milk included) and the vast majority of processed foods.
Oxidized cholesterol is to be avoided in the diet and is the type of cholesterol that can trigger heart disease. (4)
Bitters Stimulate Bile Production
Once you are comfortable with the fact that you can and should eat fat after gallbladder surgery and that it is wise to do so in order to provide your liver with the raw materials necessary for bile production, the next step is to “train” your liver to produce the bile. This way, you will have the digestive juices you need at the proper time to digest the fats you eat with your meals.
Eating at regular intervals that your body can adjust to can go a long way toward this goal.
If a regular routine for consuming your fats does not prove helpful after a period of time or you are temporarily off schedule for whatever reason, use of traditional bitters or quality digestive enzymes can be used in conjunction.
Herbal bitters are plant-based extracts that are rich in minerals (vetted and recommended source).
Bitters work better than digestive enzymes in my experience. They are an ancient tonic for stimulating the liver to produce bile.
Traditional Asian cultures have long valued bitters for their digestive benefit. They also use them for their cleansing properties which promote increased strength and healing.
A single teaspoon of bitters in a small amount of water in the morning and in the evening should be sufficient to stimulate your liver to produce adequate amounts of bile. A spoonful of cold-pressed, organic sunflower lecithin after a fatty meal can also be helpful.
Still Can’t Eat Fat Comfortably After Gallbladder Removal?
If despite all your best efforts, you still have digestive issues with fats after gallbladder surgery, you can use a bile salts supplement to assist you.
Supplements should be a last resort, however. It is always best to encourage the body to do its job unassisted if at all possible.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the need for healthy, unprocessed fats does not change after gallbladder surgery. You still need these fats for optimal health. Therefore, finding a way to consume them comfortably is of paramount importance.
Keep in mind the research of Dr. Weston A. Price. The most revered foods in ancestral cultures were all fatty and of animal origin. These foods contained large amounts of Vitamins A, D, and K2 which were responsible for their strong, sturdy babies and children, resistance to chronic and infectious disease, easy fertility, and vitality into advanced age.
These fat-soluble activators supercharge mineral absorption into the tissues. Thus, eating lowfat is a recipe for disaster! It will likely contribute to a mineral starved state and other deficiencies and health challenges over time.
Fat is a critical nutrient that you cannot do without and still enjoy vibrant health.
Finding a successful strategy for consuming foods with the fats you need is the best approach after gallbladder surgery…not avoiding them as recommended by conventional medicine.
References
(1) More Young Women Suffering from Gall Bladder Disease
(2) Your Gall Bladder Needs Fat!
(3) Digestion and Absorption of Food Fats
(4) Atherosclerosis. 2000 Mar;149(1):181-90
Sarah, you failed to explain that the bile that is stored in the gallbladder is about 8 times more concentrated than the bile that comes directly out of the liver. The way you explain it makes it sound like we don’t really need a gallbladder. We most certainly do. The concentrated bile from the gallbladder is much more efficient at digesting most fats. Medium chain fatty acids like those found in coconut oil do not require bile for breaking them down. That’s why MCFA’s are easier to digest.
Another thing to note is that gallbladder disease is most often associated with celiac disease. The hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is produced in the duodenum. The duodenum is the target of the autoimmune destruction in celiac disease and therefore will either greatly reduce or stop the production of CCK all together. This causes bile in the gall bladder to stagnate and often crystalize. This is why most celiacs will also exhibit gallbladder disease. Without healing the duodenum it will inevitably lead to an infected gallbladder requiring removal.
This is true-there is definitely a link between gallbladder inflammation and gluten intolerance. Even traces of gluten can cause a gallbladder flare-up.
I was already gluten-free, but when I started avoiding gluten in other products like shampoo, and went on some key supplements (for about 3 weeks), I didn’t have the pain anymore.
There are herbs that dissolve gallstones and kidney stones. Chanca piedra and hydrangrea. Herb Pharm’s Stonebreaker is one good product that includes both, there are others. Also, one would need supporting supplements-high potency probiotics and digestive enzymes, beet root extract, vitamin D and vitamin C (in the form of sodium ascorbate).
ETA…
I did one gallbladder cleanse about 6 weeks before I did the above protocol. It didn’t help nearly as much as removing all traces of gluten and the stone-dissolving herbs.
I have had my gallbladder removed recently. Years of digestion problems and had my first gallbladder attack. What do you suggest from here on out to aid digestion and returning to a normal diet? I though I was eating well prior with only dessert or treats occasionally.
Thanks a lot for this post, I have gallbladder issue too. But I do eat raw pastured butter, raw homamde sheep milk kefir(thick like yogurt cause has more fat than cows one) raw goat sheep cheeses, organic salmon, egg yolk daily and have no problem. I wish to know about WAPÅ› diet more earlier. I wonder if I do not eat too much dairy, but it is always fermented raw sheep kefir or other raw products as I mention. I can not imagine a day without them
Sarah, I love getting your blogs; however, the links to read the full article never work. Instead of dot com, it is always dot dot com. It is very annoying to have to go in each time and make the correction to read your article. Anything you can do about this?
I had my gallbladder out when I was 30 after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. I gained and lost 50 pounds a half dozen times before age 30, and the doctor pointed to that as the reason my gallbladder calcified. The doctor didn’t tell me when I had it removed that I’d have to change my diet at all, he never addressed diet at all. I’ve only had problems with fat digestion once or twice, even after changing (at age 50) to a high fat diet. I just drink a little kombucha and I’m fine!
On an emotional level, “gall of bitterness” came to mind. I don’t think that term is there as just an “idea”. I think the gall bladder is trying to tell us something. The world is in desperate need of emotional/ spiritual healing. We can do things to treat it, but there are things we can do to get rid of what is causing the distress.
Thanks for a great post, Sarah. Such good info there.
I have been without a gallbladder for 13 years, and I’m only 34! So wish I cared more about my health back then, instead of just doing whatever the doc said.
That said, the only thing I have done, is taken digestive enzymes with my food. I have felt wonderful since, and have no problems with any fats. I do eat nourishing, healthy fats as stated above.
Blessings,
Joy~
Hi Joy! I’m interested in starting to take digestive enzymes or bile salts (also had my gallbladder removed) and I was wondering why you started taking them. I seem to be handling food ok but my mood, energy is lower (its been 3 years since the surgery). I was wondering if you experienced anything like that before and if the bile salts/enzymes helped. I’m learning that healthy fat is necessary for the brain to receive information efficiently and can have an effect on mood an memory if you’re not getting enough into your body. Thanks! I also wish I knew then what I know now but an looking forward!
This is interesting. My sis-in-law had hers removed and she still has attacks. I’m gonna forward this to her! Thanks!
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Hi, I’ve just had mine removed and they’ve found out the GB wasn’t the problem but the bile duct sphincter spasming which affected the GB. I’ve had a procedure called an ERCP to put a stent in there to resolve this.
thanks! this is very informative. However, do you have any information (or a previous post) that talks about how to prevent having your gall bladder removed (due to inflammation and distention for instance)?
A gall bladder and/or liver cleanse can be helpful toward this end. My previous post last year on herbal bitters summarizes this but Raine – the commentor above, has excellent info on it in her blog Agriculture Society.
Hi Sarah – this is a very informative post and I hope many who have had gallbladder issues/surgery can benefit from it.
I’ve been without my gallbladder for nearly 12 years and its been a struggle to get my body back on track, but I’ve figured out a number of things I didn’t know before and I’ve learned to manage my digestion much better with diet. For some years I used bile salts and also digestive enzymes (Digest Gold by Enzymedica). I think the bile salts did help for awhile but after seeing a new ND, she suggested I cut out all my supplements and try Enzyme Formulations by Dr. Loomis – the original developer of enzymes for human beings. These are unique in that unlike many other enzymes on the market, they are living and also combined with healing herbs. Those are the only two ingredients. There are different enzyme combinations for people with different issues, and I have switched twice since starting in January. That along with GAPS has helped me tremendously. Here’s a link to Enzyme Formulations:
http://www.enzymeformulations.com/
I have friends who have had their gallbladders removed, and I’ve suggested various things to them which have worked for myself and the items you’ve mentioned here, but most of them are stuck in conventional mode and are still trying to apply the failing tenets of low-fat diets to their health. It’s very difficult to get out of the line of allopathic fire when dealing with gallbladder issues if you have no experience in treating digestive issues naturally, and I think many people simply lack the confidence to go away from these methods.
Thank you Raine for taking the time to list this important information from someone who has walked the walk!
You are most welcome Sarah, and thanks for all you do. 🙂