Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid after Gallbladder Removal

After a cholecystecotmy, it is important to eat foods that will help support the liver, and minimize the workload of digestion. Healthy, unprocessed vegetable oils, particularly those rich in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax seed oil and hemp seed oil, should be consumed on a regular basis.

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Both of these nutritious oils are available in supplement form, or they can be used to make salad dressings; they should not be used as cooking oils. These oils, as well as other vegetable oils such as olive oil, help the body naturally eliminate unhealthy LDL cholesterol build-up. Being of a slippery nature, and liquid at room temperature (as opposed to saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature), unsaturated fatty acids slide through the body's pathways with ease, taking toxins and harmful build-up with them.

Lemon juice and vinegar are also helpful foods to eat after gallbladder removal. The acid helps to break down the fatty acids in digestive bile. Try mixing fresh lemon juice with two tablespoons olive oil in a glass of water. Drink this solution in the morning and in the evening.

A diet after gall bladder surgery should include fruits and vegetables, with raw, fresh, organic foods being the most beneficial. Eat plenty of avocados, beets, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, grapes, apples, berries, and artichokes. They will provide fiber, which the body needs to aid in digestion and help cleanse, as well as the nutrients that the body needs to restore itself after gallbladder removal surgery. Other beneficial foods to eat after a cholecystectomy are yogurt, fish, and cottage cheese. As time passes after the surgery, start introducing whole grains, eggs, and some poultry and low-fat milk.


There are a number of foods to avoid after gallbladder removal, the most important being red meat, which is high in difficult to digest animal protein and animal fat. Also minimize pork, poultry, dairy, chocolate, and refined carbohydrates. Choose foods without hydrogenated or trans fats - this means no margarine, and few processed foods. Fried foods, spicy foods, and soft drinks should be taken out of the diet after gallbladder surgery altogether.

A cholecystectomy may be effective in masking the symptoms of a bile imbalance, but the only way to return to a true state of well-being, and to prevent the formation of more stones is to choose a healthy diet.

See more about gallbladder disease:

• Gallbladder pictures
• Gallbladder surgery VIDEO
• Gallbladder cancer treatment
• Gallbladder diet