Did you know? Having your gallbladder removed affects your kidneys and so much more.
Had no idea until almost 2 years after my gallbladder was removed how that has affected my kidneys and overall health and well-being. Yet something else my GP and surgeon neglected to mention—or do they even know about this? Well now YOU do!
Things you must know if you don’t have a gallbladder
Removal of the gallbladder is one of the most common surgeries performed in the USA and Australia today. Gallstones are incredibly common and they occur in 10 to 15 percent of the population. The problem does tend to run in families. Women are more likely to experience gallbladder problems than men and this is partly due to the effects of the female hormone estrogen. A gallbladder performs several important roles in your body:
What happens when you don’t have a gallbladder?
Your liver continues to manufacture bile, but there is no longer a place to store it or concentrate it. Therefore bile continually slowly trickles into the intestines. If you eat a fatty meal, you will not be able to secrete a large enough amount of bile into your intestines, therefore the fat will be poorly digested. This means many people experience diarrhea, bloating, nausea or indigestion. Not digesting fat well means you will not be able to digest essential fatty acids, including omega 3 and omega 6 fats.
It also means you’ll have a hard time absorbing fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E, A and K. A lot of the antioxidants in vegetables are fat soluble: lycopene, lutein and carotenoids are all fat soluble.