Medical Questions » Liver and Gall Bladder Questions » Question No. 1293
| Question: | I' ve had my gallbladder removed and have difficulty digesting fats. Any suggestions? |
| Answer: | It' s not surprising you have a problem digesting fats: the gallbladder stores bile, which is released into the intestines when we eat, and one of its jobs is to emulsify fats. During this process, bile breaks the fats up, giving them a bigger surface area on which enzymes can then get to work.
To help your body cope without a gallbladder, you' ll need to give your digestion a hand. So eat less fatty food and avoid having a lot of fat in one go - limit or omit cream, butter and other spreads, and meat products such as sausages, salami or streaky bacon. It is vital to eat some fats, however; the omega-3 fatty acids from fish, nuts and seeds are essential for health.
To help digest fat, sprinkle a tablespoon of lecithin granules on food daily, or take a 1,200mg lecithin capsule with each meal. Also take a digestive enzyme supplement that contains lipase (the fat digesting enzyme). |
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