Millions of people each year are affected by gallbladder disease. The gallbladder is a small organ located right near the liver, and its function is to help digest fats. The body struggles to digest fats using its normal digestive processes, but instead uses bile, a special substance produced by the liver specifically to digest fats.

The gallbladder is basically a storeroom for the bile until the body detects fats entering the stomach. At that point the bile is released from the gallbladder and goes to digest the fat. The fat is then absorbed through the walls of the intestine. As the body ages, the gallbladder can start to develop problems. One of the most common is bile crystallizing and forming small stones know as gallstones. Sometimes these gallstones disappear spontaneously, but in other cases surgery is required to fix the problem.

Diet plays an important role in preventing disease in the gallbladder, and also in helping a patient recover from gallbladder surgery. Interestingly, losing weight rapidly actually puts you at risk of developing gallstones. This is because your body is struggling to cope with the sudden change to a fat-free diet and the bile composition changes as the level of cholesterol in the bile increases.

Also, if a person doesn't consume any fat, the bile isn't required. This means it can remain in the gallbladder for an extended period of time. Add in a higher level of cholesterol in the bile, and you've got a great recipe for gallstones.

In some situations, it may be necessary to remove the gallbladder completely through surgery. This leads to special dietary requirements, as the body no longer can control fat digestion itself. Eating too much fat when you don't have a gallbladder can rapidly lead to diarrhea and other problems because the stomach can't deal with digesting fat without adequate bile.

If you've had your gallbladder removed, or you find you regularly have issues with gallstones, then it's important to follow the following guidelines:

• Avoid eating too many fatty foods
• Use low-fat dairy products
• Aim to eat 6 smaller meals a day, rather than 3 large ones
• Lose weight slowly and consistently, rather than rapidly

What you eat plays a huge role in your overall health and the development of various diseases, including gallbladder problems. Eating a healthy diet can help to keep your gallbladder healthy, as well as reducing the risk of problems if your gallbladder has been removed. Aim to eat lots of fresh vegetables as part of a balanced, healthy diet, and your digestive system will operate much more effectively.