Your liver produces bile, a fluid that’s necessitated for the digestion of fat. Bile manufactured by your liver is stored in a tiny pouch situated right under it, and it’s referred to as the gallbladder. Small amounts of bile are secreted by your gallbladder into the small intestine each time there’s fat to digest.

Sadly, in some instances pebble-like masses out of bile pigments and cholesterol called gallstones may come into being. If they’re large enough to cause an obstruction, various symptoms such as pain, nausea and vomiting may be encountered. Gallstones tend to occur over and over again, and that’s why doctors usually recommend surgical removal of the gallbladder in order to keep the problem at bay for good. Those who cannot undergo surgery due to certain reasons may be prescribed with medications that are formulated to help dissolve gallstones.

Age, sex, a family history of it — these are factors that can put you at risk of developing gallstones. But just because you cannot do something about these things doesn’t mean that you should brace yourself for a bout of gallstones. According to health experts, there are certain steps that you may take in order to fend off gallstone formation.

If you want to keep gallstones from coming into being, keep on reading. Below you will come across some of the things that you may do in order to considerably lower your risk of having them. Don’t forget to share this article on your various social media sites after checking out its entirety so that your family members and friends, too, may know that the following can help save them from having gallstones in the future:

Maintain an Ideal weight

Being obese or overweight is undeniably one of the biggest risk factors for gallstones. Needless to say, it’s a good idea for you to get rid of excess pounds. And once you have lost them, it’s a good idea for you to do everything you can in order to keep those unnecessary pounds from creeping back in. Needless to say, steering clear of gallstones is a lifetime commitment.

However, experts suggest for you to avoid losing weight rapidly. That’s because it’s something that can actually increase your risk of forming gallstones. In order to lose weight without the risks, consider dropping 1 to 2 pounds a week only. It may take a longer time for you to reach your ideal weight than, say, shedding off 3 to 5 pounds a week, but you can rest assured that complications such as forming gallstones can be kept from striking.

Exercise on a Regular Basis

One of the most important components to a healthy weight loss is regular exercise. Coincidentally, getting your regular dose of exercise is also a fantastic idea in order to fend off gallstones. Leading a physically active lifestyle can help considerably lower your levels of cholesterol — earlier, it was mentioned that gallstones can either be due to solidified bile pigments or cholesterol.

Some people with gallstones tend to encounter all kinds of unfavorable symptoms, but there are those that experience none. If you’re told that you have gallstones but you are not encountering any symptom, go ahead and get your dose of mild to moderate exercise in order to lose unnecessary weight and also keep additional gallstones from forming. But if currently you are experiencing some symptoms, it’s recommended for you to skip exercising.

Watch What You Eat

Definitely, it’s a good idea for you to opt for a diet that’s high in fiber in order to fend off gallstone formation. This only means that you should welcome more fruits, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts and seeds into your life. There is really no need for you to turn your back on bad fats, although you should considerably limit your intake of them. On the other hand, good fats may still be consumed. In fact, studies say that a diet that’s high in olive oil is good for battling gallstones.

See to it that you limit your intake of foods that are loaded with refined sugar and carbohydrates. That’s because excessive amounts of them can contribute to unnecessary weight gain — being obese or overweight is a known risk factor for gallstones.