Improper Diet And Obesity Cause Gallstones

Cholelithiasis or better known as gallstone disease is associated with the formation of stones of different sizes and compositions in the gallbladder. Although relatively rare, when they are the result of metabolic disorders, stones can also form in the bile ducts.
 

Gallstones are formed by changes in the liquid contents of the gallbladder.
 

Bile plays an important role in breaking down the food we eat. Bile juice is formed in the liver and accumulates in the gallbladder, and from there through the bile duct flows into the duodenum.
 

The fluid that is excreted from the bile is in a larger percentage of water, but contains cholesterol, bile acids and salts, bilirubin, etc. If the amount of any of these substances increases, conditions are created for the formation of gallstones. Types of gallstones.
 

Gallstones are solid formations. Depending on their composition, gallstones are divided into two main groups: cholesterol and pigment.
 

Cholesterol stones are the most common and account for over 80% of all gallstones. They can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are yellowish-white in color. They are brittle and easily destroyed.

Pigment stones (bilirubin) are small in size and irregular, polygonal in shape. They are dark brown to black in color, hard and difficult to break. Most often they reach a large number.

Factors for the development of gallstones are:

• Increased amount of cholesterol or bilirubin in the composition of bile
• Deficiency of bile acids, salts or lecithin.
• Stagnation of bile in the bladder.
• Obesity. In case of overweight, a reduced amount of bile salts in the composition of the juice is observed.
• Gender and age . It has been found that women suffer from gallstone disease 3-4 times more often than men. In people over the age of 50, this difference decreases, and after 60 years the incidence increases significantly.
• Ethnos . Some ethnic groups have an increased risk of gallstones. For example, Indians and Mexicans have the highest percentage of gallstones.
• High estrogen levels. Estrogen levels increase during pregnancy, with hormone replacement therapy, or with contraceptives. The female hormone raises the level of cholesterol in the bile and reduces the movements of the gallbladder.
• Drugs, cholesterol lowering. Drugs that lower cholesterol in blood vessels and cells increase its amount in bile.
•  Diabetes . In patients with diabetes, high concentrations of fatty acids and triglycerides increase the risk of stone formation.
• Hemolytic anemias and cirrhosis . In these diseases, conditions are created for the formation of pigment stones as a result of increased radiation in the bile of substances that are generally present in small quantities in it (such as a pigment called bilirubin).
• Prolonged and drastic diets. Starvation or irregular food intake causes a decrease in the movement of the gallbladder. Elevated cholesterol levels are a prerequisite for the formation of cholesterol stones.
• Sudden weight loss . With rapid weight loss, the body metabolizes fat from broken down fat stores. Larger amounts of fat reach the liver, and more cholesterol is excreted in the bile.