Prevention
Many of the risk factors for gallstones, such as age and gender, are fixed and cannot be prevented. Others such as obesity, smoking, lack of exercise and high levels of cholesterol in your bile can be addressed by making lifestyle changes (see ‘Looking after yourself’ section)1,26.
- Review your diet – choose foods low in cholesterol, saturated fats and sugar and opt for those high in fibre (see ‘Looking after yourself’ section)8.
- Lose weight steadily (if you are overweight).
- Avoid rapid weight loss.
- Take more exercise.
- Stop smoking26.
URSO (see ‘Treatment’ section) may be prescribed to you as a preventative measure if you are thought to be at a particularly high risk of developing gallstones, for instance, if you have recently had weight loss surgery1,5,28.
Studies have shown that drinking small amounts of alcohol may reduce cholesterol levels in bile, decreasing the risk of developing gallstones. However, drinking more than the Department of Health’s recommended guidelines for alcohol (21 units for men, 14 units for women) in a week, can lead to liver disease such as fatty liver, cirrhosis and other health problems25,26.
Some research indicates that certain oils (such as olive oil) used as part of a healthy diet may improve gallbladder emptying, and reduce gallstone formation. Garlic oil has been shown to be effective at dissolving cholesterol gallstones in the laboratory. More research needs to be done on the use of these, as dosage and effects are still not clear 5,29,30.