Gallstones : a high consumption of fruits and vegetables, effective prevention

A high intake of fruits and vegetables is effective in women to prevent the development of painful gallstones , suggests a study published in the "American Jounal of Medicine "
Gallstones are formed as a result of solidification of the stored in the gallbladder bile. They may not cause symptoms from the intestine but can also cause severe pain , block the bile ducts or cause infections and become lethal . Cholecystectomy or removal of the gallbladder is the most common pathology of this mode of treatment.

The nutrients found in fruits and vegetables, such as antioxidants , fiber and magnesium , would be likely to reduce the risk of gallstones. However, few studies have evaluated the link between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the risk of developing gallstones .

Tsai Chung- Jyi Harvard Medical School ( Boston, USA) and colleagues conducted a study of 77,090 women aged 37-64 years with no history of gallstones and followed for 16 years to assess the link between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the risk of cholecystectomy.

Their results indicate that 6608 women have undergone cholecystectomy. However, the risk of cholecystectomy was found 20% lower in women with the highest consumption of fruits and vegetables (top quintile) , compared with the risk among women with the lowest consumption (lowest quintile) . Women in the highest quintile reported consuming an average of more than seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day , as against less than three servings for women in the lowest quintile .

This was established after other risk factors for gallstones (weight, age , diabetes) were taken into account.

Taken separately , fruits and vegetables (green and cruciferous vegetables , citrus and other fruit or vegetable rich in vitamin C ) were respectively associated with this risk reduction cholecystectomy.

These results suggest the protective role of a high consumption of fruits and vegetables against the risk of cholecystectomy in women, the authors conclude.