The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ under the liver where bile is stored until it is needed to help fat digestion. Occasionally when the bile contains too much cholesterol, stones are formed which we call gallstones. Those most prone to gallstones are those with a high cholesterol diet and people who are overweight. Gallstones can be very painful and often cause nausea, wind and vomiting. Attacks can be triggered by eating fatty foods like chocolate, cheese or pastry.

Apparently in medical school the aide memoir for doctors to help them remember the usual patient with gallbladder disease is ‘ the five Fs’ which are ‘ fair, fat, forty, fertile and female’ e.g. overweight middle aged white women with a history of several pregnancies.

Gallbladder illness is a disease of the 21st century. It is a degenerative disease clearly linked to diet. The disease correlates to high fat and sugar intake. The reason we have more problems nowadays with the gallbladder is the increase in consumption of ready meals, fast foods and of course the growing problem of obesity due to lack of exercise.

Interestingly in Saudi Arabia a recent study found that incidence of gallbladder surgery increased 600% as diet changed from a simpler nomadic existence to a more sedentary lifestyle with all the sugary, fat laden foods of the developed world.

Obesity – Nowadays with growing worries about with obesity women in particular, have led to diets more focused on the reduction of weight. Crash diets can actually precipitate gallstones, so they should be avoided. Severe changes in eating habits increase the amount of calcium in the bile, which creates a high risk of gallstones forming.

Aging – Another reason for the increase in problems with the gallbladder is that people are living much longer and it is a disease that tends to hit people after the age of 60. As we age the body secretes more cholesterol into the bile.

Heredity – If your family has a history of gallstones you should really watch your diet and try to reduce your intake of high cholesterol foods. Have your cholesterol checked with your doctor regularly just to be on the safe side.

Hormones – Others at risk are those taking HRT or the birth control pill because this apparently doubles or even triples the risk of gallbladder disease. Women are in any case more prone to problems with the gallbladder because oestrogen stimulates the liver to remove more cholesterol from blood and divert it into the bile. Occasionally pregnant women can develop gallstones but thankfully they often disappear after the birth.

If you think you could be at risk then make sure your diet is high in fibre as well as these other raw foods that are specifically effective with the gallbladder:

• Nuts
• Peanuts
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Vegetable protein
• Vitamin C

• High sugar
• High carbohydrates
• Pasta
• Bread
• Eggs
• Onions
• Milk
• Oranges
• Animal fat
• Margarine and butter
• Mayonnaise
• Fried foods

If you already have gallstones and surgery is looming, consider a liver and gallbladder flush. I understand some people do this on a regular basis as a preventative measure. There are many variants but most seem to involve drinking copious amounts of apple juice, water and Epsom salts. Here's just one of those mentioned on the Internet but believe me there are many more! This is Dr Hulda's Recipe:

We are bound to see gallbladder disease continue to increase as more women take HRT, as people live longer and as we live more sedentary lives. To avoid problems it looks as if having a diet including the omega-3 and fibre as well as taking plenty of exercise will really cut down the risks.

By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari