The Gall!

I come from a family of people who have had their gallbladders removed. (mother and maternal grandfather) I refuse to go down that road if I can help it. I do have a nausea meter built in whenever I have foods that are too oily or fatty. I count myself as lucky when I listen to it.

Gallbladder Issues

If you find yourself clutching your stomach and feeling nauseous after eating fried foods or meals high in fat (yes, even the good fats), your gallbladder may be the culprit. “People with gallbladder issues often have an exacerbation of their symptoms when they eat heavier, fattier foods,” says Dr. Singh. “Pain in the right upper abdomen, pain that radiates to the back or shoulder, and nausea and vomiting can occur.”

The gallbladder is a sac that’s located under the liver. It stores and concentrates bile, which aids in the digestion of fat. When you eat foods containing fat, the gallbladder releases bile into the upper part of the small intestines. When someone has gallbladder disease—which often refers to gallstones and cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation)—these functions are impaired and can cause pain as a result. When gallstones get stuck traveling through the duct that carries bile to the intestines, for example, they block the flow of bile and this can trigger a gallbladder spasm that results in extremely sharp pain.

Interestingly, gallbladder problems are more common in women and experts believe that it’s due to elevated levels of estrogen.

Try this: If symptoms are severe, you may need gallbladder removal surgery, but often, there are things you can do to prevent gallstones and their symptoms. Avoiding foods with excessive amounts of fat, like fried foods, keeping your portion sizes reasonable, and taking a digestive enzyme containing lipase (which breaks down fat) before meals may help, according to Dr. Singh. Research has also shown that women who eat more fiber and have several servings of nuts per week are less likely to need gallbladder surgery.