What dietary precautions should patients with gallstones take?

Generally, the diet for patients with gallstones should focus on reducing the burden on the gallbladder and avoiding stimulation of the stones. Key dietary considerations include controlling fat intake, choosing high-quality protein, increasing dietary fiber, avoiding irritating foods, and maintaining regular meal times. A detailed analysis is as follows:

1. Control fat intake: Patients with gallstones must strictly limit high-fat foods such as animal organs, fried foods, and fatty meats. Excessive fat intake can trigger intense gallbladder contractions, potentially causing biliary colic and worsening the condition. Low-fat cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, and stewing should be used in daily meals, while frying or deep-frying should be avoided.

2. Choose high-quality protein: Patients need adequate protein intake to maintain bodily functions, but should opt for low-fat, high-quality sources such as skinless chicken, fish, lean meat, tofu, and skim milk. These foods provide essential nutrients without excessively stimulating gallbladder contraction.

3. Increase dietary fiber: Consume more fiber-rich foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Dietary fiber promotes intestinal motility, reduces cholesterol absorption, lowers cholesterol concentration in bile, helps prevent gallstone enlargement or new stone formation, and also relieves constipation, thereby reducing metabolic strain.

4. Avoid irritating foods: Spicy foods, strong tea, coffee, alcohol, and other irritants can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and gallbladder, possibly leading to abnormal gallbladder contractions, pain, or inflammation. Patients should avoid these foods as much as possible and maintain a light, mild diet to minimize gallbladder irritation.

5. Maintain regular eating habits: Patients should develop consistent eating patterns, consuming three meals at regular times each day, with particular attention to breakfast. Prolonged fasting increases the amount of time bile remains in the gallbladder, raising the risk of bile stasis and gallstone formation.

By appropriately adjusting their diet, gallstone patients can help control disease progression and reduce episodes of discomfort. Additionally, they should monitor their condition regularly according to individual circumstances and follow standardized medical treatments under professional guidance.