gallstones are you born with them?

Hi AP

Personally I believe that diet can contribute to gallstones. The thing you must understand about the medical profession is that they aren't taught much about diet & nutrition. Typically 1 day in a 5 year degree programme.

In Nutrition & Dietetics for Healthcare (9th Ed) by Helen Barker (a typical bulk standard textbook) it states that some dietary fibre bind to bile acids and is excreted within the stools instead of of being reabsorbed, and may prevent the formation of gallstones (page 61). But it goes on to say (from page 223) that gallstones most commonly found in industrialised countries is supersaturated in cholestrol. Gallstones are often associated with obesity, and more common in women than men. It states that there is a decrease in cholestrol saturation of bile with weight loss. It then says that this is thought to be linked with a low-fibre, high-fat diet but this hasn't been proven.

All I can say on this whole matter is how come most cholestrol in the body is made by the liver and liver breaks it up. So why isn't the liver doing it's job? I'm sure CarolineN would love to answer that and come up with suggestions.

best wishes

RP

This is what wikipedia says: [url]Gallstone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]

Congential gallstones:

Then there is this: [url]Cholelithiasis - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment[/url]

RP

Not heard that one before!

Certainly gallstones can be linked with diet - fair fat female and forty - is often the classic person described by the medical profession. However there are other factors, including a hereditary link and hormones. Females can develop gallstones after hormone changes due to pregnancy.

Yep - fair, fat, forty and female was the precursor to gallstones when I was nursing! But that is certainly not all the story - a male acquaintance who is neat (slim) in his mid 60's had to have gallstones and his gallbladder removed ...

A really good way to prevent them is to drink hot water with lemon in it upon waking, then half an hour later consume some wholegrain oats or oatbran (made into porridge or in a smoothie, or wholegrain oat museli. The lemon stimulates the gall bladder to empty out its contents, which have collected overnight, into the duodenum. The old hormones and cholesterol in the bile adheres to oat bran which is then passed out with the stool. Wheat bran does not do this - it adheres to minerals and takes them out - not a good idea long-term. Oat bran is also excellent fibre to feed good bacteria, so is brilliant all-round.

This is a good strategy for those who are oestrogen-dominant too. Too often the excess hormones and/or cholesterol are reabsorbed further down the gut and the body struggles to get rid of them, especially if one is at all constipated.

There is a way of clearing out the gall bladder but that is best done under the direction and guidance of a registered Nutritional Therapist or Naturopathic Doctor.

And yes, doctors are seriously short of nutrition education and seem to forget most of their physiology by the time they get to practice - but can be brilliant at other things!

Thanks so much for the advice Caroline.

Is it OK to eat the oats/oatbran with yogurt and some fruit? How much do you think is enough?

Thanks x

Hi Lumière
I take about a tablespoon (level-ish) of oatbran, with about double that of porridge oats, freshly ground mixed seeds and some dried fruit. Yoghurt is fine so long as it is unsweetened bio-yoghurt.

Thanks Caroline x