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
What a great article! I learned so much…had no idea that the liver was where the bile to digest fat is made. I also did not realize that bitters can be more effective than digestive enzymes. Thanks so much for posting! Indeed, there is life after gall bladder surgery. 🙂
In the Philippines, using bile of cattles, goats&innards are used in cooking in the ilokano tribe. We also use bitter vegs like bittermelon, asian fenugreek. Yep, traditional recipes lasts bec of its medicinal values. The meat recipes are usually prepared on parties,special occassions bec raising these animals takes months–thus, the special parties.
Widespread use of hormonal birth control contributed to the rise in gallbladder disease and removal. Do an internet search of “birth control, gallbladder, and class action lawsuits.” You will see the connection. Hormonal birth control has many negative side effects.
Widespread use of hormonal birth control contributed to the rise in gallbladder problems and removal. Do a search for “class action lawsuits, gallbladder, and birth control.” You will see the connection. Hormonal birth control has many dangerous side effects.
Researchers included normal-weight and overweight women in the study,
noting that weight problems are common with the disorder, known as PCOS, and a source of mental health problems that could affect sexual function.
Our ND recommends ox bile with meals to my mother-in-law (who has no gallbladder).
Coconut oil does help. You need a eat a Ketogenic Diet without a Gallbladder. Truth try it!
All of you should check out youtube videos by Dr. John Bergman. many topics and solutions offered
I was able to save my gall bladder 8 years ago by following the advice at gallbladderattack.com/ . I had lost 20 lbs in a month and had a trip to the ER I was in so much pain at one point. Gall bladder problems come more from years of a “white” diet: sugar, bread, rice, etc. When you have gall bladder problems, it stems from your liver. So even if you have your gall bladder removed, you should follow a “liver healthy” diet.
Hi my name is saima and I have gallbladder surgery a year ago actually my concern is after my gallbladder surgery my weight is increase day by day I m very upset I’m a house wife having three kids I don’t have time with them that I do walk and exercise .I cook at home different grains and mutten not beaf .I eat these all things I drink 8 glass of water. And also use green tea some time in after lunch sometime in evening but I don’t eat anything in dinner because my weight is increase.plzz suggest me what kind of food can I eat thank u