High-fibre diet helps gallbladder

Reducing the risk of gallstones by eating a diet high in fibre, particularly the insoluble type found in whole-wheat products and corn bran, may help women avoid gallbladder surgery. The protective effect of a high-fibre diet remains even after taking into account other risk factors for gallstones. Researchers from the Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, analysed data from approximately 70,000 women who completed food-frequency questionnaires starting in 1984. The women were apparently free from gallbladder disease when the study began. By 2000, nearly 6000 of the women had undergone gallbladder removal surgery, called cholecystectomy. Women who consumed the highest amounts of fibre were 13 percent less likely to undergo cholecystectomy than those who consumed the lowest amounts. The reduction in risk was even more pronounced for the highest levels of insoluble fibre intake - 17 percent. The researchers found that fibre has a number of biochemical effects that may reduce gallstone formation. The findings support the notion that the people should consume adequate amounts of dietary fibre.