What can you eat if you have gallstones? Dietary rules for gallstone disease


Gallstone disease is a pathology based on metabolic disorders, and, mainly, changes in cholesterol metabolism. This substance, which is extremely necessary for the body in small quantities, becomes the main substrate of not only atherosclerotic plaques, but also choleliths in the biliary tract.

The main principle of the diet is to exclude fried and fatty foods.

The diet for gallstone disease is aimed at normalizing cholesterol metabolism and related processes. Without following nutritional principles, stones will increase in volume and quantity; and even removing the gallbladder will only serve as a temporary measure.

Basic principles of the diet

Approximately 68% of gallstones formed in the gallbladder are composed of cholesterol; about 7% are divided between purely pigment and purely calcium stones, about 22-23% are stones of mixed composition - cholesterol, which, as a result of inflammation of the biliary tract, are covered with calcium salts.

If stones of a single-component composition of bilirubin or calcium are formed for reasons beyond a person’s control, then stones consisting of cholesterol are 90% the “merit” of their owner: the excess of this fat-soluble alcohol comes only with food. Therefore, the diet for cholelithiasis is based on the following principles:

  1. reduce the amount of incoming carbohydrates and animal fats;
  2. give up cholesterol-containing foods: fatty meats and fish, lard, yolk, beef and pork broths;
  3. so that cholesterol does not precipitate in the bile, but is in a dissolved state, you need to drink alkaline waters little by little: “Borjomi”, “Polyana Kvasova”;
  4. plant products are an essential component of the diet;
  5. liquid taken orally helps to dilute bile, which indirectly reduces its ability to form stones;
  6. Products that contain lecithin also help keep cholesterol dissolved. This is butter, cream, sour cream;
  7. During an exacerbation, it is necessary to provide rest to the patient’s gallbladder.

Advice! Daily composition of the diet: proteins - about 100 g, fats - 50-70 g, carbohydrates - 400 g, salt - no more than 10 g / day. You need to eat at least 6 times a day. Liquid – in a volume of at least 2 liters. It's called diet table No. 5.

Authorized Products

Nutrition for cholelithiasis should consist of the following products:


The diet requires the presence of foods rich in calcium: fish and meat, dairy products, and, if tolerated, boiled eggs or steamed omelettes.

To improve the contractility of the gallbladder (this will reduce congestion in it), foods rich in magnesium are needed: buckwheat porridge, rosehip decoction, oatmeal and millet porridge, nuts, seaweed.

It is good to spend fasting days: cottage cheese-kefir, rice-compote, apple, watermelon, grape.

Prohibited Products

If you have gallstone disease, you should not eat:

  • fried foods;
  • pies;
  • fatty meat and fish;
  • baked goods;
  • cakes;
  • spicy dishes;
  • spinach;
  • vegetables such as radishes, onions, radishes, garlic, turnips;
  • chocolate;
  • caviar;
  • coffee and cocoa;
  • alcohol;
  • offal.

Dishes should be eaten only warm, without sprinkling them with seasonings.

If gallstone disease worsens

Warning! On the day when pain appeared on the right side under the ribs, nausea and bitterness in the mouth, you couldn’t eat. You are only allowed to drink sweet black tea.

Oatmeal with water is the main dish for exacerbation of cholelithiasis

From the second day, mashed potatoes cooked in water, slimy rice porridge in water, and lean boiled meat are added to the diet. This diet is followed for up to 10 days, and if the pain in the right hypochondrium is relieved, then they switch to the main diet.

Postoperative diet

The diet for gallstone disease after surgery consists of the following nuances:

  1. You cannot eat for the first 36 hours;
  2. After this time, you can only drink: tea without sugar, jelly and dried fruit compotes, low-fat kefir. The volume of drinks per day is up to 1.5 liters. You can drink no more than 150 ml at a time. This diet is followed for 3-5 days.
  3. On days 3-5, mashed potatoes and vegetarian soup with a teaspoon of butter or sour cream are added to the diet.
  4. Gradually add boiled lean fish, steamed omelette without yolk, pumpkin and apple juice without sugar, and stale white bread.
  5. After 7-8 days, liquid porridges are introduced: wheat, buckwheat, oatmeal, cooked or from cereal ground in a coffee grinder, or already ground in a blender; lean meat, low-fat dairy products.
  6. After day 8, steam cutlets, meatballs, and meatballs are added. Soups can already be cooked in the second or third meat broth, and in porridges you can add milk diluted with water 1:1.
  7. Only 1.5 months after the operation do they switch to table No. 5, described at the very beginning.

As can be seen from the article, dietary nutrition in gallstone disease plays a role that is very difficult to overestimate. This is understandable, because along with other factors, the formation of stones is closely related to what foods we eat. You can learn more about the nature and mechanism of development of this pathology from the article:.

When a person is diagnosed with acute or chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, one of the most important conditions for prolonging remission after treatment or for six months after surgery is diet.

Chronic cholecystitis is almost never an isolated disease, and the inflammatory process in the gallbladder is often accompanied by pathological disorders in the stomach, liver, intestines, pancreas, cardiovascular and nervous diseases.

For chronic and acute cholecystitis, hepatitis, and gallstones, a special diet has been developed, called table No. 5. What kind of diet is this, what you can eat with cholecystitis, and how to follow a diet with gallstones - we will tell you in this article.

The calorie content of the daily diet, the energy value of products should be 2000-2500 kcal, which is determined by the physiological needs of the body. On average, the ratio of carbohydrates should be 300-350 g, fats 80-90 g, proteins - 80-90 g.

The most important thing that a patient following a diet for gallstones should know:

  • The most powerful provocateur of exacerbations is taking fried and very fatty foods
  • Eating a large amount of food, that is, overeating
  • Food should only be warm, not hot, not cold
  • There should be fractional meals, small portions, but frequent - 6 times a day
  • The use of refractory fats, strong stimulants of pancreatic and gastric secretion - spices, extracts, foods high in cholesterol (see), products with essential oils - is strictly prohibited.
  • The main diet should consist of vegetables and fruits.
  • Since fried food cannot be consumed, all dishes are prepared steamed, boiled, or less often baked.

What fruits can you eat for cholecystitis and gallstones?

According to diet No. 5, the most important thing is to exclude all sour berries and fruits, that is, you cannot eat gooseberries, all types of citrus fruits, cranberries, sour apples, sour plums, mangoes, cherry plums.

Many people are interested in the question: Is it possible to eat bananas and grapes for cholecystitis? Yes, among the permitted fruits there are: sweet apples, watermelons, bananas, melon, strawberries, avocados, papaya. As for grapes, they are a questionable fruit. Considering that in most cases, in addition to cholecystitis, the patient also has other diseases of the digestive system (for example, gastritis, pancreatitis), fruits such as grapes, and vegetables such as cabbage, black bread, kvass can cause fermentation and inflammation of the organs.

Therefore, you should always listen to your body; if you notice discomfort after taking a particular product, analyze the amount you eat, try to eat less next time or completely give up the questionable fruit.

What vegetables can you eat for cholecystitis?

There are practically no restrictions among vegetables, that is, you can eat any vegetables. You should be careful with raw white cabbage, if the patient does not suffer from pancreatitis, then you can eat raw cabbage in small quantities, but if you have disorders of the pancreas, it can only be consumed boiled, baked, if you like sauerkraut, then it should not be too sour. You can have green peas, carrots, beets, pumpkin, potatoes, zucchini. Do not overuse tomatoes; they can be eaten without exacerbation, but only without the peel, in moderation; pickled and salted ones are excluded. As for legumes, according to diet No. 5 they are excluded, but during the period of remission they can be consumed in very limited quantities.

What can you drink if you have gallstones?

What you can eat with cholecystitis becomes clear that only steamed, boiled, not salted, not spicy or canned, not fried and not fatty. But what can you drink? You can drink fruit teas, compotes, jelly, freshly squeezed but diluted fruit and vegetable juices, carrot, tomato and beetroot juices are especially useful (beetroot juice should be drunk 3 hours after squeezing), It is especially good to take mineral water without gases 30 minutes before meals , such as Smirnovskaya, Slavyanovskaya. Weak tea is useful, especially green tea, not bagged (see).

Is it possible to drink coffee if you have cholecystitis? Coffee, especially instant coffee, should be avoided; the same applies to the advertised chicory; its effect on the gastric mucosa is no less harmful than coffee. If, in addition to cholecystitis, a person suffers from diseases of the stomach and pancreas, it is better to avoid chicory, cocoa and coffee altogether; if this is not possible, then you should limit its concentration, drink it with milk and not on an empty stomach.

It is strictly forbidden to drink icy, cold drinks, and the harm of alcoholic drinks to the body is known to everyone; when following a diet for gallstones and cholecystitis, you should completely give up alcohol. Of course, for the celebration 50 grams. You can drink good dry wine if there is no exacerbation of the disease and pain, it all depends on the dose and quality of the alcoholic drink. Always listen to your feelings, everything is good in moderation.

What can and cannot be eaten if you have gallstones?

Bakery products

Today, many families purchase home bakeries, making delicious bread and baked goods at home. It is not recommended for patients with cholecystitis to eat freshly baked homemade bread; it is better to wait and eat yesterday’s dried bread; moreover, it should not be rich (adding a large amount of fat). Also, if you have gallstones, you should not eat all baked goods made from puff pastry or shortcrust pastry. All cakes, pastries, pancakes, pancakes are excluded. Moreover, given that industrial production uses cooking fats, most often palm oil, which is practically poison for the digestive system, eating store-bought baked goods is dangerous even for healthy people. But you can safely eat day-old bread made from wheat, peeled, rye flour, or bran bread. And also baked pies with cottage cheese, fish, meat, apples made from simple dough.

Soup with steep broth

Steep broths made from meat, fish, chicken, duck, mushrooms, etc. have a very negative effect on the digestive system. You should avoid any such broths and prepare only vegetable soups. As a last resort, if you absolutely cannot deny yourself the first course with meat broth, firstly, cook only lean meat, and secondly, strongly dilute it with water or vegetable broth before preparing cabbage soup, soups, beetroot soup, and borscht.

Fatty meats - goose, duck, pork, lamb, fatty beef, chicken

Fatty meat products should be excluded from the diet. Meat products can be prepared only from lean beef, lean poultry, rabbit meat and consumed in limited quantities, boiled. You can use boiled meat or chicken (minced meat) to make meatballs for soup, steamed cutlets, casseroles, or eat in pieces, chewing thoroughly.

Sausages, sausages

Of course, the most accessible and convenient product today is semi-finished meat products, which are found in abundance on supermarket shelves. These are the most harmful, chemicalized food products, stuffed with flavor enhancers and preservatives, additives of dubious content, which are dangerous for everyone to eat, not just people with digestive problems. No milk sausages, “baby sausages,” or “diet sausages” should be on the table of a person with gallstones, pancreatitis, or chronic cholecystitis. These names are just a marketing technique; there cannot be any “children’s” sausages!!!

Is it possible to eat nuts, seeds, honey if you have cholecystitis?

If you are not allergic to bee products, then honey can be used for cholecystitis. As for nuts and seeds, they can and should be consumed, but only when purchased in an unrefined form (peel immediately before use), and in moderation.

You should know that under no circumstances should you eat shelled nuts on the shelves of our stores; during processing, transportation, and packaging, oxidation of fats occurs and the nuts become what is called rancid. When fats oxidize from long-term and improper storage, peeled, finished nuts cause increased stress on the gallbladder, pancreas and liver. This is especially true for pine nuts, which are imported to Russia from China. These nuts are dangerous to health; they also cause exacerbation of cholecystitis (see).

Fish, eggs

All fatty fish are also excluded (catfish, sturgeon, beluga, stellate sturgeon, salmon), but pike perch, cod, carp, hake and pike can be included in the diet of a person with cholecystitis. Moreover, it should be remembered that fried foods are strictly excluded, which means the fish must either be baked, steamed or boiled. Researchers have repeatedly proven that when fish is fried, all its beneficial properties are lost, so you can reassure yourself that you are not just following a diet for cholecystitis, but are getting healthy food products that retain their wonderful properties. As for eggs, they can only be consumed soft-boiled or in a bag, in the form of an omelet or added to other dishes, and do not abuse the quantity, no more than 1 piece per day (preferably 1 yolk per day), and hard-boiled or fried eggs (scrambled eggs ) should be excluded.

Dairy

Milk soups with pasta and cereals are very healthy. You should not eat full-fat milk, cottage cheese, cream, fermented baked milk, fatty cheeses and fatty sour cream. If you have cholecystitis, you can drink milk, especially with tea, you can also have condensed milk, low-fat cottage cheese, a little low-fat sour cream, but not sharp cheeses - Dutch, Russian.

However, the modern “wild” food market is replete with low-quality goods. And even seemingly natural products contain various additives. Tons of palm oil are exported to Russia, the dangers of which most manufacturers are silent about and do not indicate it in the composition of their products.

But palm oil is added to cheeses, cottage cheese, and other dairy products, ice cream, butter, all baked goods, muffins, confectionery, chocolate, etc., and this type of oil is very harmful to all organs of the digestive system .

But what to do? Purchase products of the highest quality from trusted manufacturers, do not buy cheap dairy and other products, as this indicates the use of cheap substitutes for natural products. The same applies to glazed cheese curds, ice cream, and cakes. They are not made from natural milk and cream, but from milk powder that goes through several stages of chemical processes, and it is difficult for the human body, liver, pancreas and gall bladder to cope with such a chemical attack.

Smoked meats, canned food, marinades

Any canned food, smoked sausages, smoked fish, canned fish, pickled vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.) are prohibited for consumption.

From plant products

should be excluded - green onions, radishes, garlic, spinach, radish, sorrel. Seasonings include pepper, horseradish, mustard, spicy ketchup, mayonnaise,... Among the permitted spices you can use dill, parsley, vanillin, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf.

Porridge

Semi-viscous and crumbly porridges are very useful, especially oatmeal and buckwheat (see). If you rinse the cereal in the evening, pour boiling water over it, add salt, heat it up in the morning and eat it - this is the best way to preserve nutrients and vitamins. You can also diversify your menu with various casseroles from cereals, pasta, you can make various puddings, vegetable and pasta side dishes.

Since ancient times, doctors have been looking for the origins of diseases in poor nutrition, and modern science confirms this hypothesis, which is why diet for gallstone disease plays such an important role. Modern research shows that the cause of gallstones is poor diet. Statistics show that overweight people most often suffer from this disease (this problem is especially common among women who have given birth several times), and least often - vegetarians, even those who adhere to not too strict principles and allow themselves dairy products. So what can you eat if you have gallstone disease and what should you never eat?

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    Principles of nutrition for cholelithiasis

    Nutritional habits in diseases of the gallbladder are associated with the causes of the development of this pathology. The appearance of stones is preceded by a sufficiently long period during which this problem can be prevented. Gallstone disease appears when bile stagnates in the gallbladder under the influence of certain factors. It becomes too thick, and this contributes to the precipitation of its salts. They gradually turn into stones, which can be found not only in the bladder itself, but also in the bile ducts.

    Studies have shown that the composition of stones is not only the mentioned salts, but also cholesterol metabolism products. Their formation is a complex biochemical process. It has been established that some foods increase the production of cholesterol and reduce the synthesis of bile acids. Cholesterol does not dissolve in water; it is excreted from the body only when mixed with bile acids. It becomes a vicious circle: the more cholesterol there is, the more difficult it is to remove it. And the higher the risk of stone formation. Thus, poor nutrition causes both inflammation of the gallbladder and the appearance of stones. Moreover, the rate of their growth depends on the level of cholesterol in the body. On average, this is 3-5 mm per year, but it happens that it can be more if you do not revise your menu in time.

    It is possible to understand that the disease is related to nutrition in practice, since pain always intensifies after spicy, fried and fatty foods. Thus, they are the ones that need to be excluded from the diet first.

    A diet for gallstone disease, on the one hand, should provide the body with all the necessary substances, that is, a normal amount of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and on the other hand, it should limit the consumption of fats.

    This allows you to achieve several goals at once. Firstly, the load on the liver is reduced. Secondly, the function of the biliary tract is restored. Thirdly, it helps prevent the formation of new gallstones. Of course, existing stones are dealt with differently.

    During the period of remission, that is, when the function of the gallbladder is reduced, but there is no pain as such, the diet should increase the output of bile and ensure the normal functioning of this organ. During an exacerbation, the diet provides rest to the gallbladder.

    Diet preparation

    In Soviet medicine there was a table of treatment tables according to Pevzner. It is still used today with minor modifications. Gallstone disease is the so-called table No. 5.

    What should be the approximate content of various nutrients in the daily diet of a patient with cholelithiasis? The layout is like this:

    • proteins should be 85-90 g, with only about half coming from animal proteins;
    • fats - 70-80 g, of which a third should be of vegetable origin;
    • carbohydrates - 300-350 g (this means all carbohydrates, including in potatoes, cereals, etc., but sugar itself should not exceed 70 g per day);
    • table salt - up to 10 g, this is the total amount in all dishes.

    The energy value of a therapeutic diet should be 2170-2480 kcal per day, depending on lifestyle. Such nutrition should provide a long quiet period.

    What should be the diet so that the disease does not make itself felt? As with any other disorder of the gallbladder, gastrointestinal tract and liver, meals should be frequent, or, as they say, fractional. The daily diet is divided into 5-6 meals. This diet has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gallbladder. The fact is that sometimes food intake itself has a choleretic effect. It is important to eat regularly, that is, at the same hours. This will ensure a uniform outflow of bile. In addition, if you eat more than you need in one meal, a strong contraction of the gallbladder can occur, which will lead to pain, and quite intense pain. Frequent meals also contribute to better absorption of vitamins and microelements; they normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and prevent constipation.

    There is one more important point. When dieting for gallstone disease, considering both what you can eat and how such foods are prepared, the food itself rarely causes appetite. Therefore, you will have to come up with some ways to beautifully decorate dishes and set the table, because you still need to eat well. Throughout the week you will have to at least create the appearance of variety. Finally, it is important to eat in a calm environment, slowly, and not while running, so that you are satisfied with even a small portion of food and do not overload your gallbladder.

    Food processing

    For gallstones, not only the diet and its qualitative composition are important, but also the peculiarities of cooking and heat treatment of food. To reduce the load on the gastrointestinal tract and gall bladder, all dishes must be served chopped, if not pureed. This prevents excessive production of bile, causing spasms of the biliary tract and pain.

    All products must be either boiled, steamed, or baked (but only without crust). Sometimes extinguishing is allowed.

    It was already mentioned above that the amount of salt is limited. Salt itself is not harmful. But the sodium in its composition attracts liquid, the viscosity of the blood increases and the bile thickens, which impairs its excretion. Not to mention that salt promotes swelling. The taste of dishes can be improved by using some permitted spices and herbs.

    As for drinking fluids, you need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. This will help dilate the blood vessels and make the bile less concentrated. In addition, this way toxic substances are removed from the body more quickly, including those from which stones are formed.

    The food served should be neither too cold nor too hot. In both cases, bile production is stimulated, which should not be allowed in this disease. In addition, it irritates the stomach lining, so it will be harmful in any case.

    What can't you eat?

    Research conducted in recent decades has shown that in the case of the “stone” type of gallbladder disease, the prerequisites for its development are:

    • excessive consumption of foods containing large quantities of refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, etc.,
    • lack of foods that contain essential fatty acids and antioxidants,
    • deficiency of plant fiber.

    Thus, it is refined carbohydrates, fried and saturated fats that need to be excluded from the diet first. Why can't you eat fried foods? Because during such processing of foods, oxidized fats are formed, which impede the excretion of bile and increase the level of bad cholesterol in the body.

    Any products that increase bile production are prohibited. These are purines and even usually beneficial compounds - essential oils. Refractory fats and a number of other products also have this property. Firstly, they lead to an increase in cholesterol levels in the blood, and secondly, they are difficult to digest.

    True, the same purines are found in any food, so doctors talk about the permissible amount of purines in the diet - up to about 600 mg per day. Moreover, studies have shown that purines of animal and plant origin have different effects on the course of cholelithiasis. Thus, purines from meat and fish increase the risk of stone formation, but purines from vegetables have virtually no effect on this. The most purines are found in foods such as:

    • concentrated meat broths (including chicken) and sauces;
    • duck and goose meat, in slightly smaller quantities - in lamb and pork, bacon,
    • herring and sardines.

    All this will have to be excluded from the diet without fail.

    In addition, you should not eat foods high in oxalic acid and some nitrogen compounds, as they lead to the formation of salts - this causes the formation of stones in the gall bladder.

    You should not eat foods that irritate the digestive tract and lead to gas formation. Flatulence has been found to increase the risk of stone formation. In addition, it is necessary to exclude foods that lead to rotting processes in the intestines.

    Thus, in addition to the already mentioned products containing purines, the following are prohibited:

    • fresh white bread, rye bread (it causes increased gas formation), pancakes, pancakes, fried donuts, pies, any baked goods;
    • full-fat cottage cheese, country (that is, fatty) milk, any salty and spicy cheese;
    • egg yolk and, accordingly, dishes in which it is included - scrambled eggs, omelet, stuffed eggs;
    • butter, cream, lard, i.e. animal fats, but also mixed fats, such as margarine and cooking oil;
    • fish varieties containing a lot of fats and purines (salmon, sturgeon and others) and fish soup;
    • mushroom soups, and indeed mushrooms in any form;
    • canned fish and meat;
    • any sausages;
    • pearl barley, millet and barley cereals;
    • almost all fruits, mostly fresh (especially grapes, raspberries, and, oddly enough, lingonberries and cranberries);
    • confectionery, mainly chocolate and buttercream cakes, sweets and ice cream;
    • some herbs due to their high content of oxalic acid (and this is not only sorrel, but, unfortunately, parsley, dill, as well as basil, thyme);
    • almost all legumes, cabbage and Brussels sprouts and spinach;
    • mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar (this excludes pickled vegetables and canned food).

    Some vegetables are also prohibited. These are onions, radishes and radishes, and also garlic, in any form. Despite all their benefits, they are dangerous due to their high content of essential oils, which can provoke an exacerbation of the disease.

    Although pasta and a number of cereals (for example, oatmeal, buckwheat, wheat) are not prohibited, if the patient is overweight, then they should be excluded from the diet.

    Strong tea, coffee and cocoa are prohibited from drinks. It is clear that fast food is completely prohibited, since it contains both simple carbohydrates and refined fats.

    In any case, regardless of other indications, you will have to give up alcohol. The fact is that any, even weak, alcohol leads to spasms of the bile ducts and bladder, and this causes hepatic colic. The fact that most alcoholic drinks are served cold also plays an important role. And this disease excludes cold dishes.

    What can and should you eat?

    After such an impressive list of prohibited foods, it may seem that the patient cannot do anything except water. Actually this is not true. You can eat any foods high in pectins and so-called lipotropic substances. Pectins, for example, are recommended for any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as they have an enveloping property and have an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, they facilitate the elimination of toxic substances from the body. Finally, pectins are a favorable environment for normal intestinal microflora.

    As for lipotropic substances, they help dilute bile, remove fats from the body, prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques in blood vessels and accelerate the removal of cholesterol itself from the body.

    It is important to have enough fiber in your diet. It will ensure normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and help prevent constipation, which often provokes attacks of gallstone disease due to intoxication of the body.

    With this disease, it is very important to consume foods high in magnesium and its compounds. The fact is that magnesium salts weaken spasms (this is familiar to everyone who suffers from night cramps). In this case, the risk of hepatic colic is reduced and pain is relieved. Magnesium salts also have an anti-inflammatory effect, they stimulate normal contraction of the gallbladder and, like fiber, prevent constipation, however, their mechanism of action is different - due to increased intestinal motility.

    Some experts believe that in the diet of a person suffering from cholelithiasis, the amount of magnesium should exceed the norm by 2-4 times. True, if you follow such a magnesium diet for gallstone disease, you will have to completely eliminate table salt and limit the amount of free liquid. So it should be used with caution, taking into account your health status and all possible contraindications. For example, if gallstone disease is accompanied by gastritis or chronic enterocolitis, a magnesium diet is not prescribed. The appropriateness of its use in each case is considered by the doctor.

    Honey can and even should be consumed for gallstone disease, since it helps avoid the formation of stones.

    But you can eat it only in moderation. In addition, even in hot drinks, honey should not be exposed to prolonged heat, as this destroys the beneficial substances.

    Is it possible to eat watermelon with this disease? It is difficult to answer this question unequivocally. On the one hand, watermelon contains pectins, which are exactly what you need. But on the other hand, in large quantities it can cause fermentation processes in the stomach, which should be avoided in any case. Some experts see a solution in drinking watermelon juice, especially since it can be used to prepare healthy refreshing drinks.

    List of approved products

    The list of foods that are allowed for cholelithiasis is quite wide, and with some imagination the diet can be made quite varied.

    If we talk about animal proteins, then you can cook:

    1. 1. Any seafood, since they contain a lot of iodine, and it binds bad cholesterol. These are squid, shrimp, mussels, seaweed. But crab sticks do not belong here, since the technology for their production involves the use of not only krill, but also different types of fish, in addition, many preservatives and dyes are added to them.
    2. 2. Low-fat fish (for example, pike perch). They contain unsaturated fatty acids, that is, the same lipotropic substances discussed above.
    3. 3. Lean meats: veal, rabbit, chicken. They are boiled, but broths, even fatty ones, are not used. After all, the purines contained in meat pass into water.
    4. 4. Mild cheeses are consumed in small quantities. As for other dairy products, it can be low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir and milk. Such products are useful because they contain vitamin D, the pH value shifts to the alkaline side, this reduces the amount of salts that precipitate and helps prevent the formation of stones.

    You can eat egg whites. Of course, it is not eaten in its pure form, only in the form of a steamed or baked omelet and in some other dishes.

    Sometimes, but not during an exacerbation, milk sausages and low-fat ham are allowed if there are no contraindications due to concomitant diseases.

    Carbohydrates consumed

    As for carbohydrates, the list of products is also quite wide. Allowed:

    • bran bread, white bread croutons, unsweetened biscuits and crackers;
    • cereals: oatmeal, buckwheat, semolina;
    • pasta;
    • nuts and seeds.

    These must be whole grain cereals, not flakes, and they are prepared in a special way. Porridges should be viscous and boiled. They are prepared either with water or with highly diluted milk. Rice porridge is allowed, but only if there are no digestive problems, as it can lead to constipation. In such cases, you can cook, for example, rice porridge with pumpkin (the latter contains a lot of fiber, has a mild laxative effect and compensates for the effects of rice).

    Nuts and seeds can be eaten in limited quantities because they are high in calories. But they contain unsaturated fatty acids, magnesium and many other useful microelements. Cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds are considered the healthiest.

    What else is useful?

    It is very useful to eat vegetables. It could be pumpkin, squash, carrots, zucchini, sweet peppers, cucumbers. Vegetables can be used to prepare vegetarian borscht, beetroot soup, and other soups. Potatoes are rich in starch and can be eaten either boiled or baked. Recommended fruits include apples, sweet pomegranates, and bananas. Moreover, apples can be eaten both fresh and baked. Quince is not recommended because it increases the tendency to constipation. Apricots contain a lot of magnesium, but it all depends on individual tolerance and the absence of contraindications. From time to time you can treat yourself to such sweets as: marmalade, marshmallows or marshmallows, various jellies, dried fruits.

    Most berries should not be eaten raw. But you can make juices and compotes from them, and prepare jelly. Drinks that are allowed include coffee with milk (only weak) and rosehip tea. Juices are drunk only diluted. According to indications, the doctor may prescribe medicinal alkaline waters (Borjomi, Essentuki).

    The diet must include fats. Butter, unless there are contraindications, can be consumed only in very small quantities. It is best absorbed from animal fats. It is not eaten in its pure form; it is recommended to simply add it to porridge. From vegetable fats, unrefined oil is recommended, preferably sunflower oil, although flaxseed, olive, and corn oil are sometimes recommended (if tolerated).

    You can make your diet more varied by combining the listed products. For example, you can cook rice or wheat porridge with dried apricots, semolina-curd pudding, buckwheat balls with or without cottage cheese. Not to mention the various combinations of vegetable salads. By the way, you can add greens to them, but only a little, so as not to provoke salt deposition.

    The list of products provided is not exhaustive. For each product that is not included there, you should consult your doctor. For example, theoretically, corn porridge is very useful for cholelithiasis, but you can eat it in limited quantities, since excessive consumption can lead to unpleasant consequences.

    Most spices are prohibited for this disease, but turmeric has a strong choleretic effect, and sometimes it is allowed only for individual indications, if there is a need to stimulate the flow of bile.

    Menu during exacerbation of pathology

    Dietary rules during a sharp exacerbation of the disease will be much more strict. The diet for gallstone disease at this time should be very gentle. In the first 2 days of such an exacerbation, you can only take liquid food. However, this can only be called food with a stretch, since it will be rosehip decoction or sweet tea, and no more than 2-3 glasses a day. These liquids are drunk in small portions, literally a few tablespoons at a time. After 2 days, you can add a little pureed food to this, for example, cereal soup (oatmeal or rice) or pureed porridge from the same ingredients. Jelly or mousse are possible. Gradually, small amounts of low-fat cottage cheese and meat are included in the diet. Again, all these products can only be eaten pureed.

    If there is no sharp exacerbation, but the patient feels worse than usual, you can arrange a fasting day. In the summer, such days are spent on juices and permitted fruits. In winter, this can be the so-called Kempner diet (based on dried fruit compote and rice porridge) or the curd-kefir diet. In any case, its main goal is to reduce the caloric content of the diet.

    Consequences of violating the regulations

    Many people believe that such a strict diet is a completely unnecessary precaution; it is not necessary to follow it and deviations from the diet can be compensated for with medications. But doctors warn that no pharmaceutical drugs can replace diets for cholelithiasis.

    Only therapeutic nutrition can normalize the level of bad cholesterol in the blood and prevent the formation of new stones. This prevents the development of concomitant diseases such as atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal pathologies, etc. In addition, such caloric restriction allows you to get rid of excess weight, and this is one of the risk factors for the development of gallstone disease.

    If the principles of dietary nutrition are neglected, this may contribute to the increase in stones, and the problem will have to be solved surgically. The lack of necessary elements in the diet contributes to the exacerbation of intestinal and renal colic. In addition, if the diet is violated, serious concomitant diseases develop, for example, pancreatitis or peptic ulcer.

The diet for gallstone disease is indicated for diseases of the gallbladder and its ducts. It helps to alleviate the patient’s condition and prevent complications during an exacerbation. Excluding fatty, fried and salty foods from the patient’s diet at the doctor’s insistence can reduce the manifestation of pain in the right hypochondrium, the area of ​​the collarbone or scapula. Also, following a therapeutic diet helps get rid of heartburn, belching, bitterness and dry mouth.

Principles and features of the diet

A diet for gallstone disease is prescribed by a doctor after examining the patient and passing the necessary tests. The main condition for recovery is adherence to a diet and eating at the same time. This promotes increased flow of bile. Portions should be small so that contraction of the gallbladder after eating does not cause severe pain.

Basic principles of nutrition:

  • the diet for gallstone disease should include only permitted foods and dishes in the menu;
  • the diet should contain a sufficient amount of animal and vegetable protein and calcium;
  • The basis is diet No. 5, which regulates cholesterol metabolism;
  • Fats, fried and smoked foods, salty foods, canned food and alcohol are prohibited;
  • The basis of the diet is fruits, juices and vegetables that promote the secretion of bile;
  • meals should be divided, five times a day;
  • Products and dishes high in magnesium are recommended for consumption;
  • it is necessary to reduce the daily calorie content of food, do fasting days on apples, kefir, oatmeal;
  • You should drink at least two liters of water per day.

It is necessary to ensure that the body receives vitamins, macroelements, calcium, and plant foods. Prunes, honey, beets and fiber will help avoid constipation. Flour products, carbonated drinks, seasonings and rich meat broths are subject to restrictions. Food should be warm; food can be cooked using any thermal method.

Allowed food and drinks

Diet for gallstone disease in women and men involves following a certain diet. The basis of the diet is diet No. 5 and No. 5a. Food should not cause stagnation of bile or unpleasant pain after eating. The diet should include protein foods, vegetable and animal fats, and dishes rich in magnesium. Some vegetables and fruits can be eaten without restrictions, others need to be consumed only in small quantities.

Allowed to include in the diet:

  • lean meat and lean fish;
  • dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk and yogurt;
  • eggs in small quantities, no more than 2-3 pieces per week;
  • buckwheat, oatmeal;
  • vegetable oil, including olive, corn;
  • fruits and vegetables and juices squeezed from them;
  • fruit and vegetable purees, salads;
  • tannin-rich juices from quince, pomegranates, bird cherry and blueberry;
  • small amount of butter.

Fruits, fresh herbs and vegetables help prevent constipation and improve the secretion of bile. Their daily use can stop or slow down the formation of stones. The best vegetables to eat are carrots, cauliflower, and pumpkin. Useful fruits and berries during a diet for gallbladder gallstones are grapes, apples, prunes, strawberries and watermelons.

The diet for gallstone disease in women and men should include milk and vegetable soups, cereals, unsweetened drinks and berry decoctions. In small quantities you can eat dried day-old bread, unsweetened cookies, jam and honey. If there are no exacerbations, it is allowed to include rice, soaked herring, sour cream, vegetable borscht and pasta in the menu.


Prohibited products

When prescribing a diet for gallstone disease, the doctor must take into account the patient’s condition and the characteristics of his body. Nutrition during remission and exacerbation differs, but many foods are prohibited for consumption in both cases. The list of foods that cause pain and discomfort can be expanded depending on the type of disease and the degree of manifestation of symptoms.

It is prohibited to use:

  • lard and fatty meat;
  • semi-finished products;
  • offal: lungs, kidneys, brains and liver;
  • canned meats;
  • mayonnaise and margarine;
  • fresh bread, pastries and confectionery;
  • pasta and wheat cereals;
  • sweets;
  • garlic with onions and green onions;
  • radishes and radishes;
  • spinach with sorrel;
  • alcohol with carbonated drinks;
  • mushrooms;
  • pickled vegetables;
  • caviar

It is forbidden to eat foods rich in cholesterol, as they cause stagnation of bile in the gallbladder. The exception is butter, which can be added to ready-made porridges and other dishes. The diet for gallstone disease and cholecystitis also prohibits the consumption of any baked goods, fatty or mushroom broths, chocolate, ice cream and seasonings. It is not recommended to include legumes, cranberries, hard-boiled eggs and strong coffee in the menu.


Nutrition during exacerbation of the disease

A diet for gallstone disease during an exacerbation involves limiting harmful foods and following a gentle diet. You should eat in small portions, at the same time. Food should not be too cold or hot, only warm. Large pieces should be chewed thoroughly. It is recommended to prepare dishes in such ways as stewing, boiling, baking, steaming.

If symptoms worsen, on the first day you are allowed to drink only warm tea and rosehip decoction. The next day, you can introduce liquid rice soup, mashed potatoes, and boiled vegetables in small quantities into your diet. After 7-10 days of such dietary nutrition, you can eat foods and dishes allowed by diet No. 5 according to Pevzner. Any fatty, smoked and pickled food is prohibited, as well as alcohol, fatty meat and baked goods.

Dietary restrictions during exacerbation:

  • meat and meat soups should be completely removed from the diet in the first 7-10 days;
  • all products must be chopped with a knife or blender, and ground through a sieve;
  • once a week you need to do a fasting day, drinking only teas, fruit drinks and decoctions;
  • main and second courses should be eaten without bread;
  • the basis of the diet should be fruit and vegetable dishes, liquid cereals;
  • You can eat pates, cottage cheese casseroles, omelettes, soufflés and salads.

Meals should be five times a day. The gallstone disease diet recommends adding a second breakfast and a snack between lunch and dinner. Before going to bed, it is advisable to drink a glass of warm milk, yogurt or kefir.


To follow a diet for gallstone disease, you should prepare a sample menu for the week in advance. All dishes recommended by a doctor must be prepared using approved thermal methods. You will have to follow this regime for a long time, you need to get used to it right away.

  • dishes made from dairy products: cottage cheese and cheese casseroles, milk porridges and soups, cottage cheese with pieces of fruit;
  • vegetable dishes: liquid soups, stewed vegetables, purees and various salads with the addition of vegetable oil;
  • soups made from vegetable broths with the addition of lean poultry and fish. meat;
  • berry and fruit salads, jellies, juices, fruit drinks and jelly;
  • egg white omelettes;
  • oatmeal, rice, buckwheat and barley porridge with the addition of dried fruits, honey or nuts;
  • prunes and boiled beets to prevent constipation;
  • still mineral water, sweet herbal teas, fermented milk drinks.

A diet for cholelithiasis with a correctly compiled sample menu for a week will help you avoid mistakes in nutrition and relieve pain after eating. You should not overeat or consume prohibited foods to avoid exacerbations due to stagnation of bile.

  • rice or oatmeal soup with zucchini, cabbage;
  • steamed meatballs, fish, turkey, veal cutlets;
  • egg white omelet;
  • cottage cheese casseroles;
  • potato, carrot and zucchini puree;
  • sweet cottage cheese with fresh berries and pieces of fruit;
  • boiled fish, chicken;
  • millet, buckwheat and oatmeal porridge;
  • salads of fresh carrots, cabbage, beets and cucumbers;
  • carrot and cabbage cutlets;
  • seafood dishes;
  • buckwheat and rice as a side dish for steamed cutlets or stewed vegetables;
  • rosehip decoction, sweet hour and fruit and berry juices;
  • seaweed;
  • dried bread or crackers;
  • puddings with jam.

A patient with gallstone disease must eat soups for lunch and milk porridge for breakfast. Cereals, nuts and seafood will help restore magnesium deficiency, and plant fiber will improve intestinal motility.

A properly formulated diet for gallstone disease is an important factor in the patient’s recovery. The diet is selected taking into account the main cause of the disease, concomitant pathologies, health status and age of the patient. Your doctor will tell you what and how to eat if you have gallstone disease. Violation of recommendations can be dangerous and lead to complications.

The prescribed diet for gallstone disease improves the quality of life, eliminating discomfort after eating. We are talking about bloating and regular constipation.

The diet for gallstone disease does not differ between women and men.

  • eat food in small portions;
  • take short breaks between snacks, eating 5–6 times a day;
  • exclude fried foods, baking is allowed;
  • increase protein intake;
  • exclude refractory animal fats from the diet;
  • cook soups only with vegetable broth;
  • dishes must be warm.

Small portions of foods regularly entering the stomach stimulate the production of bile, preventing it from stagnating and preventing the appearance of new stones.

The human body needs fats. They are building blocks of cells and take part in the production of bile. You shouldn't eliminate fats from your diet completely. Nutrition for cholelithiasis (cholelithiasis) should include butter and vegetable oils (olive, pumpkin, flaxseed).

Often, gallstones are not the patient’s only problem. The diet is beneficial for the entire digestive tract.

Nutrition for cholelithiasis during an exacerbation should be severely limited. To do this, use table No. 5A. The diet for gallstone disease and pancreatitis is called 5P.

The list of what you can eat changes depending on the patient’s condition.

If the disease is not in the acute phase, you are allowed to prepare the following dishes:

  • based on vegetables, sweet fruits, and berries;
  • from lean meat and fish;
  • croup;

They can be consumed boiled, fresh, stewed or baked. It is allowed to add a small amount of butter or vegetable oil.

Supplement the diet:

  • white breadcrumbs, stale rye bread;
  • seeds (pumpkin, sunflower);
  • nuts;
  • bran;
  • seafood;
  • mild and low-fat hard cheese;
  • low-fat cottage cheese.

As a dessert for patients with cholelithiasis, the following is suitable:

  • biscuits;
  • lightly dried biscuit;
  • prunes, dried apricots and other dried fruits;
  • jelly;
  • jelly;
  • marshmallows;
  • marmalade;
  • paste;
  • honey, jam.

The following drinks are allowed for cholelithiasis:

  • kefir, curdled milk, milk;
  • still mineral water;
  • rosehip decoction;
  • freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices;
  • weak tea.

In case of biliary colic, the diet is adjusted individually.

What fruits can you eat if you have cholelithiasis? Patients are interested in particulars, because there are hundreds of items on the market.

For cholelithiasis, the list is limited to:

  1. Sweet apples. It is advisable to bake apples or make apple juice.
  2. Avocado. The fruit contains a minimum of acids and a maximum of healthy vegetable fats.
  3. Mango. Also a source of fat.
  4. Bananas. They are rich in pectins, which absorb toxins and remove them from the body.
  5. Strawberries. The juices of the berry thin the bile and dissolve the formed stones.
  6. Melons. Different varieties of berries contain lycopene. Carotenoid pigment has a choleretic effect.
  7. Watermelons. They are natural laxatives, relieving constipation associated with cholelithiasis.

It's better not to eat grapes. The product is excluded from the diet due to the likelihood of bloating.

Vegetables you should give preference to:

  • broccoli, cauliflower;
  • beets, carrots;
  • potatoes.

When treating without surgery, foods containing large amounts of magnesium will be useful:

  • beans, lentils, peas;
  • nuts;
  • porridge (barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, wheat);
  • seaweed;
  • dill;
  • carrot;
  • beet.

Before including legumes in your diet for cholelithiasis, you should consult your doctor.

If you follow a diet, gallstone disease can be treated without surgery. Products are capable of healing due to their composition. Gallstones are formed from substances entering the body, for example, cholesterol and calcium salts. There are no dangerous substances in the diet, and there are no problems.

Doctors recommend oatmeal for breakfast for any disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract).

Such nutrition for cholelithiasis produces an anti-inflammatory effect, partially relieves spasms. Completely or partially prohibited foods

The therapeutic diet for patients with gallstones is based on the principle of excluding foods that:

  • increase cholesterol levels;
  • increase the amount of bile;
  • cause bladder contractions;
  • form salts that precipitate on the walls of the organ;
  • generally impair the functioning of the digestive system;
  • lead to constipation.

It is worth removing completely from the diet for cholelithiasis:

  • animal fat;
  • certain types of vegetables (radish, radish);
  • all types of fish caviar;
  • goose, duck and other fatty meats;
  • high fat dairy products;
  • salty and hard cheeses;
  • all smoked meats and sausages;
  • semi-finished products;
  • fast food;
  • refined oil;
  • all types of spices;
  • pickled mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.;
  • spinach, sorrel;
  • garlic;
  • fatty fish;
  • Alcoholic drinks are also prohibited;
  • fresh baked goods;
  • cocoa;
  • black coffee;
  • chocolate, sweets;
  • pies, pastries, shortbread;
  • cakes and pastries.

Prohibited foods for gallstone disease must be replaced with healthy ones. Preference is given to plant foods.

Every gastroenterologist has a table of caloric content of foods. The diet for gallstone disease should be selected in accordance with it.

The diet for cholelithiasis prohibits all fried foods. Diet during exacerbation of cholelithiasis involves more stringent restrictions. All food must be grated; eating pieces is not allowed.

Eggs, in particular the yolk, are considered a particularly dangerous product for people with gallstones. Why? Food can cause stones to move. The stones end up in the bile ducts, blocking them and causing pain.

Exacerbation of the disease is accompanied by spasms in the right hypochondrium, inflammation of the gallbladder, and disorders of the digestive tract. The pancreas may become inflamed.

Nutrition for cholelithiasis during this period has a number of features:

  1. The first day they are fasting.
  2. On day 2, foods begin to be introduced into the diet.
  3. For another 3 days, the food should be crushed into a soufflé or puree.
  4. It is unacceptable to consume whole milk.
  5. Soups should have the consistency of slime.
  6. Meat is added in small quantities before switching to extended nutrition.

The following are allowed from cereals:

  • semolina;
  • oatmeal.

When the health of patients with cholelithiasis improves, the diet is expanded. New rules are introduced in 7 days. When the test results confirm that the acute phase has passed, after 10–14 days they switch to standard diet No. 5, which is followed for a long time.

During the treatment of cholelithiasis, two main diets are used:

  1. A magnesium diet for gallstone disease blocks muscle spasms. By saturating the body with magnesium, patients prevent stones from pushing into the ducts.
  2. Table No. 5 (“B”, “A”). This is a diet with an emphasis on the way food is prepared. It is allowed to consume products that contain various components in approximately equal proportions.

Products rich in magnesium can be consumed for 12 days (3 diets for 4 days).

Table number 5 for cholelithiasis includes dishes that are consumed outside the exacerbation phase.

A sample menu for the week looks like this:

  1. The first day. In the morning - millet porridge with dried fruits and cottage cheese with sweet berries. For lunch – rice slimy soup, fish balls. It should be steamed. In the evening we enjoy oven-cooked beef and stewed cabbage. An apple is suitable for dessert.
  2. Second day. In the morning - cottage cheese casserole with semolina and berries. For lunch - soup with buckwheat, vegetable salad (cucumber and cauliflower), boiled beef. In the evening - vinaigrette, 1 egg, a glass of kefir or low-fat yogurt, soaked dried apricots.
  3. Day three. In the morning - semolina with berries (jam), yogurt. For lunch - boiled pasta, low-fat baked fish. In the evening - pumpkin and apple salad, steamed chicken cutlet.
  4. Day four. In the morning - banana, low-fat cottage cheese, yesterday's bread with a slice of cheese. For lunch - cutlet, buckwheat or rice porridge, beetroot. In the evening – minced chicken, baked in the oven, green pea puree.
  5. Day five. In the morning - a salad of hard cheese and broccoli, a protein omelet. For lunch - fish cutlet (steamed meatballs), zucchini soup. In the evening – boiled beets with prunes, cabbage rolls made from minced chicken and rice.
  6. Day six. In the morning - semolina cheesecakes with dried apricots, buckwheat porridge, hard cheese. For lunch - mashed potatoes, cucumber and tomato salad, steamed fish cutlets. In the evening - rice porridge, shrimp salad, boiled cabbage and eggs.
  7. Day seven. In the morning - cottage cheese pudding. For lunch - rice soup with tomato and egg, boiled veal. In the evening - casserole with fish and sour cream, mashed potatoes.

Selected recipes for dishes from table No. 5:

  1. Cottage cheese pudding. Take 15 grams. semolina, 5 gr. butter, 20 ml milk, 120 cottage cheese with a small percentage of fat content, 10 gr. hard cheese, 30 gr. low-fat sour cream. Add semolina to the milk and leave for 10–15 minutes. Beat the whites. The cottage cheese is passed through a meat grinder and prepared eggs, semolina and grated cheese are added. Mix everything and place it in a greased frying pan. Place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 10–15 minutes.
  2. Cabbage cutlets. 315 gr. Finely chop the cabbage, pour in 25 grams. milk and add 10 g. butter. Simmer until done. The resulting mass is passed through a meat grinder, adding salt and the white of 1 egg. Having formed the cutlets, roll them in breadcrumbs and bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees. A delicious dish for patients with cholelithiasis is ready.

To the menu for gallstones, you need to add weak teas, compotes, freshly squeezed juices and other drinks from the list of permitted drinks.

Most diets involve temporary dietary restrictions. The exception is table No. 5. Its components allow you to provide the body with everything it needs without compromising your health. Patients with gallstones should adhere to a diet throughout their lives.