5 Ways to Naturally Prevent Gallstones

If you’ve ever had an encounter with gallstones, then you know the experience is no picnic. I’ve heard people say the pain ranks right up there with kidney stones (ouch) and childbirth (double-ouch). Yikes! Luckily there are 5 lifestyle choices you can make to help prevent gallstones from ever wreaking havoc on your life. Keep reading. . .


What are Gallstones?

Gallstones are a painful condition in which an excessive buildup of calcium deposits or cholesterol in the body causes the gallbladder to overact and produce more bile, resulting in the stones. Gallstones can be tiny particles that pass through the system unnoticed, or they can be as large as a golf ball and have to be removed surgically. They will normally produce severe pain, usually called a gallstone attack. 

Gallstones are most common in women who are pre-menopausal and overweight. The risks of developing gallstones are often classified as the “four Fs” - female, fertile, fat and forty. Obviously, a person cannot do anything about being forty, fertile or female, but since being overweight is contributory to gallstones, maintaining an ideal weight is one way that you may be able to prevent gallstones. 

1. Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Exercise and eating a healthy diet is the best way to maintain a healthy weight, and thus prevent gallstones. Because most people who develop this painful condition are overweight, keeping your weight within a healthy range is important when it comes to preventing this malady. 

2. Avoid Fatty Foods

Because gallstone attacks often happen after a fatty meal, it is important that you watch your diet, even if you are not overweight. Eating foods that are laden with fats is not good for anyone. Many gallstones are comprised of cholesterol. Eating a diet that is low in cholesterol is not only good for your heart, but also a way to prevent gallstones. Foods that are loaded with saturated fats such as fried foods and fast foods, can contribute to high cholesterol as well as gallstones. 

3. Exercise

There is evidence that people who are more active run less of a risk of developing gallstones than those who are inactive. Therefore, it is important to get proper exercise if you want to prevent gallstones. Exercise will also help you maintain a proper weight. 

4. Eat Healthy Foods

In addition to exercise, eating whole grains and drinking red wine may prevent gallstones, according to a study published in the Italian Medicine Journal. This study was based upon the low incidence of high cholesterol in individuals who live in Southern Italy. Eating fatty fish, leafy green vegetables, whole grains and fruits can reduce your risk of gallstones.

5. The Hormone Factor

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic have reported that hormones may play a role in developing gallstones. Women who are on birth control pills or take hormone replacement therapy are at a higher risk for developing gallstones than those who do not. Doctors believe this is due to the fact that the increased levels of estrogen increase cholesterol bile and movement in the gallbladder, both of which can be contributory to gallstones.

In addition to reducing your risk of gallstones, eating properly and maintaining a healthy weight can also cut your risk of many other conditions and diseases, including heart disease and some cancers. Clearly, seeking to prevent gallstones through a healthy lifestyle, exercise and healthy food choices is a step in the right direction.