What Are Gallstones And How Are They Affected By My Diet?
What are gallstones and how are they affected by dieting? Gallstones are a fairly common condition affecting as many as 1 in 12 Americans. Your gallbladder contains an emulsifying fluid called bile and when one eats, the gallbladder contracts, releasing the bile. The bile is then transported through the common bile duct to the small intestine where it can help break down digested fats. Now, if one’s bile becomes chemically unbalanced then hardened particles of bile pigments, cholesterol, or calcium salts can form, possibly growing to uncomfortable sizes within a few years. However, not all gallstones are painful and can go unnoticed entirely. There are several possible factors that contribute to gallstone formation. The first of the contributing factors is having too much cholesterol in the bile. Bile already contains fatty compounds and if it contains more than it should then it becomes supersaturated in a sense and begins to form crystals that can then lead to stones. One point that
