Gallbladder removed..is keto o

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Ketolover71
Ketolover71 Posts: 68 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Question- Do you take a supplement called lecithin and does it really help your liver flush out the fat? I started taking it just incase because I live the keto lifestyle. I dont have a gallbladder and dont want my liver to work to hard. Any advice?

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,962 Member
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    I would ask your GI doc what he/she recommends. I didn't know keto was a good thing for people with no gallbladder. Seems counter-intuitive.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Fat? No gall bladder? The fat doesn't bother you? Good to know.
  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
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    It's not so much the liver working hard, but rather, since you have no gall bladder, you have a permanent drip of bile into your intestines. Because bile cannot be stored in your gall bladder for efficient fat digestion, it slowly seeps into the intestines. This results in the improper digestion of a fatty meal.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
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    It can be an issue. Or be a person like me eating food like normal even without a gallbladder.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
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    No it does not help the liver flush out the fat. Liver function doesn't change after gallbladder removal. The way bile is delivered to your digestive tract changes. Don't eat large fatty meals and you should be fine. I had mine removed years ago and I have learned large fatty meals especially on an empty stomach will quickly cause cramping and bloating and other less fun things. Eating well really prevents any negative side effects for me.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I'm surprised you can keto without a gallbladder - for many people, having the gallbladder out means that fat goes straight through them.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
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    I can personally eat moderate amounts of fat as long as it is balanced with fiber and protein. Honestly the foods that trigger my lack of gallbladder issues are foods I shouldn't be eating anyway, ie deep fried anything. Butter, avocado, olive oil, coconut milk don't seems to bother me but it could be quantity related.
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
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    I have heard it is possible, just harder. However, I would be checking in with your doctor first.
  • crooked_left_hook
    crooked_left_hook Posts: 364 Member
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    I'm going to say keto is a bad idea because your gallbladder is what releases the bile that helps you break down and digest the fat. Instead of bursts of bile when you need it, you now just have a slow, constant trickle.

    I had my gallbladder removed in 2003 and I can eat moderate amounts of fat now but when I first had it removed I got sick from everything fatty. The two things I can tell you will also be an issue is that big meals take much longer to digest, therefore moving more slowly through your system, which may result in regular constipation. This has a problem for me, a close friend, my ex-sister-in-law, and my boyfriend. I also cannot tolerate alcohol anymore, particularly hard liquor, which is also a fairly common effect of having your gallbladder removed. More than 1 one mixed drink and I'm sick (and up to that point I was a bit of a party girl).

    I would look for another option. Personally, eating moderate amounts of fat and protien, a good amount of fiber, and lots of water works best for me. Eating 5-6 small meals instead of 3 big ones helps keep digestion moving.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    My fiancee had his gallbladder removed and he does best following a keto diet. His doctor is onboard and she's had success with keto herself.

    He used to get awful gallbladder attacks, almost always after a large, carb-heavy meal and would be rushing to the bathroom. He's had absolutely no problems eating keto with his gallbladder removed and no longer needs to rush to the bathroom after a meal.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    edited May 2017
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    There are supplements that you can take to help digest fat when you are without a gall bladder. Lipase and Ox Bile are a few that I have seen.
    toxikon wrote: »
    My fiancee had his gallbladder removed and he does best following a keto diet. His doctor is onboard and she's had success with keto herself.

    He used to get awful gallbladder attacks, almost always after a large, carb-heavy meal and would be rushing to the bathroom. He's had absolutely no problems eating keto with his gallbladder removed and no longer needs to rush to the bathroom after a meal.

    As far as I know, a gallbladder attack is an intense pain in your gall bladder as a result of a blockage. The pain is in the upper right side of the abdomen. If the blockage is severe and bile isn't getting to your stomach, then a fatty meal would not digest properly, hence running to the bathroom. I have gall stones and am just starting to have symptoms... I am almost able to predict the number of grams of fat that will make me uncomfortable. I don't have digestive issues, but am starting to feel gall bladder pain.

    It is interesting to hear how some people are OK eating fat without a gall bladder and others are not. I have read that in many instances, after the gall bladder is removed, the bile duct that is left may enlarge and have the ability to store bile. Does your fiancee take any digestive enzymes with the amount of fat he eats?



  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    CorneliusPhoton wrote: »
    There are supplements that you can take to help digest fat when you are without a gall bladder. Lipase and Ox Bile are a few that I have seen.
    toxikon wrote: »
    My fiancee had his gallbladder removed and he does best following a keto diet. His doctor is onboard and she's had success with keto herself.

    He used to get awful gallbladder attacks, almost always after a large, carb-heavy meal and would be rushing to the bathroom. He's had absolutely no problems eating keto with his gallbladder removed and no longer needs to rush to the bathroom after a meal.

    As far as I know, a gallbladder attack is an intense pain in your gall bladder as a result of a blockage. The pain is in the upper right side of the abdomen. If the blockage is severe and bile isn't getting to your stomach, then a fatty meal would not digest properly, hence running to the bathroom. I have gall stones and am just starting to have symptoms... I am almost able to predict the number of grams of fat that will make me uncomfortable. I don't have digestive issues, but am starting to feel gall bladder pain.

    It is interesting to hear how some people are OK eating fat without a gall bladder and others are not. I have read that in many instances, after the gall bladder is removed, the bile duct that is left may enlarge and have the ability to store bile. Does your fiancee take any digestive enzymes with the amount of fat he eats?

    Yes, he would experience gallbladder attacks AND bathroom urgency after meals. The gallbladder attacks were very painful for him.

    We also ate keto on and off before he had his gallbladder removed, and he would never experience attacks or bathroom urgency from our keto meals. Only large, high-carb ones (like a cheat meal at a restaurant, for example).

    And no, no digestive enzymes.
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
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    I had my gallbladder removed 19 years ago, I haven't had any issues.
  • Ketolover71
    Ketolover71 Posts: 68 Member
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    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    I'm surprised you can keto without a gallbladder - for many people, having the gallbladder out means that fat goes straight through them.

    That's what I was told also, but I have no digestive issue's.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
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    Carbs have nothing to do with gallbladder attacks or bathroom urgencies. Fat is the only trigger for bile from the gallbladder. Pre-gallbladder removal I had brutal attacks sometimes brought on by a very small amount of fat. Post-gallbladder removal I have bathroom urgencies if I eat too much fat in one go. I personally don't think I could do a high fat diet low carb diet as there is no way my digestion could handle it. I think different people can probably tolerate different amounts of fat.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    I had mine out about 14 years ago and have no trouble with Keto. If you do have issues you can get ox bile or digestive enzymes and they help. You take one with your meal and it give you the little extra you need to digest your food since you don't have a gall bladder to do it for you.

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