Beware of fat and stone

Gallstones affect about one in 10 Americans, and the risk increases if you are overweight, over 60, Native American, Mexican-American, female, pregnant or on birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. You’re also at greater risk if you skip meals, go for long periods without eating or lose weight rapidly.

A lot of us have them, but exactly what are gallstones?

Most gallstones are beads of hardened cholesterol, often irregularly shaped, formed from bile, a greenish brown fluid produced in the gallbladder. Under ordinary circumstances, when you eat a meal that contains fat, the gallbladder responds by contracting and squeezing bile through a tube (the bile duct) into the small intestine. In the small intestine, bile helps your body digest fat.

Various conditions can cause cholesterol in bile to crystallize and form stones. These stones — which can range in size from a small speck to a pingpong ball — can obstruct the bile duct, preventing bile from passing into the small intestine. If that happens, intense abdominal pain may result.

That’s a gallbladder attack. They often happen after rich, fatty meals.

A gallbladder attack can last from 15 to 30 minutes to several hours. Subsequent attacks come weeks or even years apart. Some gallstone symptoms — chronic indigestion, nausea, vomiting, gas, bloating and belching — can also mimic other gastrointestinal problems, such as ulcers and gastric reflux.

Complications of gallstones can be serious and even fatal, and surgery to remove the gallbladder is the most common treatment. But gallstones can also be present without causing any symptoms or problems at all, and treatment is typically not needed in those cases.

So how can you prevent gallstones from forming in the first place? There’s no surefire way, but you can take steps to lower your risk:

* Control your weight. Even moderate obesity increases the risk of gallstones. Extra pounds results in a greater concentration of cholesterol in the bile and reduces the ability of the gallbladder to empty, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (see http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gallstones).

* Avoid rapid weight loss. Gradual weight loss — not more than 2 to 3 pounds per week — is safest. Fad diets and very low calorie diets force the body to burn fat stores relatively quickly. That stimulates the liver to produce more cholesterol and send more into the bile, increasing the risk of stone formation. Fasting can have a similar result: It decreases gallbladder activity and can permit cholesterol to build up and form stones.

* Exercise and eat well. Regular, vigorous physical activity — in conjunction with a healthful diet — is critical for weight control. Diets rich in fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans are filling and relatively low in calories. They’re also low in bad fats and cholesterol. Cut the meat and fatty dairy products to a minimum. It should come as no surprise that vegetarians have a rate of gallstones much lower than that of nonvegetarians.

By now, you’re probably also getting used to another common conclusion to these columns: Dietary recommendations for the prevention of gallstones are the same as recommendations for the prevention of most other chronic diseases and conditions. The science may be complex, but the prescription is simple.

Taken From : www.newsobserver.com