What are the basics and principles of the gallbladder diet? What foods to eat and not to eat?

The gallbladder is an organ in the body that has the function of collecting and thickening bile. It is formed in the liver. It flows into the gallbladder through the bile duct and enters the small intestine through the bile ducts. The gallbladder expels it as needed, after food intake.

Bile is necessary for proper digestion and absorption of fats. It also has antimicrobial effects on the intestinal flora.

In diseases and disorders of gallbladder function, indigestion and pain occur after ingestion of inappropriate food. In addition to treatment, a gallbladder diet is an important part of the treatment, but also lifestyle modification.

You ask:
What is a gallbladder diet?
What foods irritate the gallbladder?
Can I eat oatmeal?
What is life like without a gallbladder?
What not to eat after surgery?

Reasons for following a gallbladder diet include:

• Gallbladder inflammation
• gallbladder stones
• gallbladder cancer
• condition after gallbladder surgery
• reduced pancreatic function
• pancreatic disease

The gallbladder diet is intended for people with gallbladder disease, patients after gallbladder surgery, but also patients with pancreatic disease. A strict diet is followed especially in the acute stages of the disease.

You can read more about gallbladder diseases in the articles:

• Gallbladder and its most common diseases
• When gallbladder stones come into play

The principle of the gallbladder diet

The basis of the gallbladder diet is mainly to reduce the amount of sugars and fats. The diet should be easily digestible, varied and wholesome. This depends not only on the choice of foods, but also on their responsible preparation.

On a gallbladder diet, look especially for foods that lower cholesterol and contain plenty of nutrients and fibre.

It is ideal to eat 5 to 6 times a day.

Breakfast is an important part of the day. It allows the bile accumulated during the night to be expelled and not unnecessarily retained in the gallbladder. This prevents its unwanted thickening, which is one of the factors in the formation of gallstones.

For the same reason, it is also important to eat more frequently during the day, but in small quantities.

The temperature of the food also plays a role. The food should not be too hot, but neither too cold.

Gallbladder diseases are often accompanied by milk intolerance. It can be replaced by sour milk products such as kefir or acidophilus milk. Cottage cheese is also suitable.

Read also our article on lactose intolerance.

When using oils and margarines, make sure to choose good quality products with a reduced fat content. Olive or avocado oil is preferable.

Cholesterol is a major contributor to gall bladder stones. Avoid foods high in cholesterol, especially fatty and fried foods.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is a building block for certain hormones. It is involved in the proper digestion of fats and is found in every cell of the body. It is essential for life, but when it is in excess it causes several problems, such as atherosclerosis and gallstones.

Food preparation and cooking

It is absolutely inappropriate to cook food by frying, deep-fat frying or deep-fat frying. The best way to cook food is by boiling and stewing. A steam cooker can be a great help.

Steaming is considered to be one of the healthiest ways to cook food. Food retains not only its aroma and taste, but also most of its vitamins.

For gall bladder problems, the simpler the food is prepared, the better. So forget about frying, deep frying, baking and grilling.

You can also fry meat coated in plain flour in a hot frying pan, without fat. After a quick frying, cover the meat with non-fat broth or water.

Avoid fat when thickening dishes, too. Use mixed vegetables or grated potato instead.

For soups, weak meat broths or vegetable stock are suitable.

Eat plenty of raw vegetables and fruit. However, beware of vegetables that bloat. Use onions, garlic or mushrooms only for cooking. Citrus fruits should be served only as juice.

As a side dish, it is a good idea to avoid, in particular, yeast dumplings or potatoes and rice that are cooked in fat.

Pastry should not be eaten when it is fresh, and certainly not when it is warm. Pastry made from puff pastry, linoleum or rubbed dough is also inappropriate.

Increase your fibre intake. Fibre has the ability to lower cholesterol and blood sugar. You can read about these and other positive effects of fibre in our magazine article: Fibre as prevention and cure. How much do we need a day?

What to eat and what to avoid on a gallbladder diet?

Some foods are completely inappropriate, others only in limited quantities. So adjust your diet to suit your needs.

Suitable foods for the gallbladder diet (table)

Most fruits and vegetables are suitable for preventing gallbladder problems. They contain plenty of fibre and nutrients needed to break down other foods in the digestive system.

During periods of acute gallbladder attacks, the diet is stricter. For the first few days, it is recommended to take only water. Later, foods such as apples, pears or beetroot can be carefully included in the diet.

Foods suitable during a stricter gallbladder diet:

• cooked apples
• applesauce
• pears
• pear puree
• bananas
• cooked beetroot
• green peas
• potato puree without fat
• rice natural

What to avoid with gallstones (table)

For fruit, be especially careful of those with skin. Avoid under-ripe or preserved fruit.

Limit or avoid refined sugar, especially in sweets, syrups and desserts. Even white flour foods contain refined sugar.

What to eat for gallbladder inflammation and other acute gallbladder problems

Do not take any solid food at the time when you have sudden gallbladder problems. Drink plenty of water. Baby or filtered water is suitable.

After about two to three days, you can drink apple juice and eat apple or pear puree. Boiled and then grated beetroot is also suitable.

Later on, you can include foods that are easy to digest in your diet. For example, cooked natural rice or steamed pumpkin are suitable. Of course, everything should be cooked with a minimum amount of fat.

What to watch out for with a gallbladder removal?

In the case of a gallbladder that has been removed, the bile drains directly into the intestine. The bile therefore has no place to store and regulate its excretion. It therefore drains continuously, which has certain consequences. One consequence is an increased risk of colon cancer.

It is therefore important to follow certain guidelines:

• eat smaller portions of food at smaller intervals
• make sure you drink enough
• make sure you get enough vitamin C
• don't forget fibre
• also eat green vegetables
• take appropriate probiotics

Read also our article on probiotics: Probiotics - bacteria needed for our health

If gallbladder stones do not cause you any problems, gallbladder removal is usually not necessary. However, it is important to follow the right dietary principles and precautions.

Every organism is different and every organism's reaction to food is different. Gallbladder diet is to some extent an individual matter.

You will learn over time which foods are best for you, just as you will learn over time how to prepare and consume foods to achieve a sufficient nutrient intake without putting unnecessary strain on your body.

Regular rest and relaxation is also an important part of this, so get plenty of sleep and avoid stress.