Dieting on Chicken and Veggies Alone Leads to Gallstones, Gallbladder Removal

A 30-year-old woman's aggressive weight loss attempt, which involved consuming almost exclusively chicken breast and vegetables for three months, resulted in the formation of four gallstones and the subsequent removal of her gallbladder. She had lost 13.5 kilograms during this period.

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Dieting cannot rely solely on chicken breast and vegetables, completely avoiding oil. Instead, one should choose good fats, control total calories, and maintain a balanced diet.

Nutritionist Liao Hsin-yi shared the case, emphasizing that completely eliminating fat from the diet is detrimental. She explained that the gallbladder requires fat to stimulate its contraction and release bile. A prolonged lack of fat can cause bile to stagnate and concentrate, increasing the risk of gallstones. This means that both excessive fat intake and complete fat avoidance can lead to gallbladder issues.

Beyond gallstones, Liao cautioned that extremely low-fat diets can trigger other health problems. These include menstrual irregularities or amenorrhea, increased hair loss, dry skin, reduced feelings of fullness leading to overeating, and the development of anxiety and guilt related to food.

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The gallbladder needs fat stimulation to contract and expel bile. If oil is not consumed for a long time, bile is prone to stagnation and concentration, increasing the risk of gallstones.

Liao stressed the importance of a balanced diet, highlighting that the body needs fat for hormone production, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and to maintain satiety. Therefore, she advises against complete fat elimination, recommending instead the consumption of healthy fats, controlled calorie intake, and a balanced dietary approach for effective and safe weight management.

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Long-term extremely low-fat diets can also lead to menstrual irregularities, even amenorrhea; increased hair loss and dry skin; decreased satiety, making overeating more likely; and anxiety and guilt about food.