Gallstones, also known as cholelithiasis, refers to the formation of stones in the bile duct system, including the gallbladder or bile duct. Gallstones are mainly caused by unhealthy eating habits, so in order to prevent gallstones, it is necessary to understand the dietary requirements of gallstone patients.
I. Dietary Care for Gallstones
1. Eat foods that are rich in nutrients and vitamins. Eat more soy products and plant oils such as cottonseed oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, corn oil, sesame oil, and rice bran oil.
2. Eat more green leafy vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, bok choy, spinach, and carrots, which are rich in vitamin A. Eat foods that promote bile flow, such as hawthorn, Chinese plum, corn silk, shepherd's purse, jasmine flower, rose flower, chrysanthemum brain, watermelon, corn, orange juice, pear juice, and water chestnut juice.
3. Drink plenty of water. Water accounts for 70% of the human body and drinking plenty of water can effectively promote the body's metabolism, help eliminate stone-forming substances from the body, and alleviate the progression of the disease. It is the simplest and most practical dietary method for gallstones.
4. Eat less sugar and meat. Excessive consumption of sugar can increase the uric acid level in the body, leading to the formation of calcium oxalate and uric acid calcium precipitates, which promote the formation of stones. Meats contain a large amount of cholesterol and uric acid produced after metabolism, which are the main components of stone formation.
5. Avoid eating gas-producing foods. Do not consume foods such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, celery, onions, radishes, leeks, bamboo shoots, garlic, carbonated drinks, acidic fruit juices, coffee, cocoa, etc., as they can cause bloating.
II. Traditional Chinese Medicine Remedies for Treating Gallstones
1. Grind dried green tea leaves into powder, then brew with boiling water and drink it while hot, including the tea leaves. Drink it once in the morning on an empty stomach and once before bedtime.
2. Take 30g of corn silk, 15g each of dandelion and yinchenhao (Herba Artemisiae Scopariae), decoct them in water and drink the decoction once a day.
3. Take 15g of bottle gourd leaves, 15g of persimmon leaves, and 15g of hawthorn. Decoct them in water and drink the decoction once a day, divided into two doses.
4. Take 10g of moneywort (Lysimachia christinae), brew with boiling water, cover it for 5 minutes, and then drink it. Take it multiple times a day.
5. Take 3 mole crickets, 10g of fennel, and 15g of lithospermum (Arnebia euchroma). Decoct them in water and drink the decoction once a day, divided into two doses.
6. Take 30g of chicken inner gold (Gallus gallus domesticus), 30g of seashore goldensand (Calotropis gigantea), and 10g of rhubarb. Grind them into fine powder and mix with ginger and licorice decoction. Take 10g each time and swallow it at once.
III. Prevention and Treatment for Gallstone Patients
1. Be cautious with spinach. According to statistics, more than 90% of stones contain calcium, and calcium oxalate stones account for about 87.5%. If the intake of oxalate in food is too high, the calcium oxalate in urine will be in a supersaturated state, and the excess calcium oxalate crystals may precipitate from the urine and form stones. Among foods, spinach has the highest oxalate content and is commonly consumed by people.
2. Avoid drinking milk before bedtime. Milk contains a high amount of calcium, and most stones contain calcium salts. The most dangerous factor for stone formation is a sudden increase in calcium concentration in the urine. 2-3 hours after drinking milk, when the body is in a sleeping state and the urine is concentrated, more calcium is excreted through the kidneys, making it easier to form stones.
3. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits contain vitamin B1 and vitamin C, and their final metabolic products are alkaline. Uric acid is easily dissolved in alkaline urine, which is beneficial for the treatment and prevention of stones.
