Letty: I’m going to help my friend recover from having her gallbladder removed. Why do we have a gallbladder if it can be removed? 

Megan: The gallbladder is a key player in digestion. It stores bile when you are not eating. Bile is used to help digestion and when we eat it moves from the liver to the small intestine but has to be stored somewhere when we aren’t eating. If the gallbladder is removed, a person can live a normal life but digestion may be impacted. Most people who have their gallbladder removed find that they need to limit caffeine, eat more fiber, and limit eating fatty foods. There are different conditions such as having gallstones, cholecystitis (inflammation), or polyps (growths). Your friend may no longer have to live with discomfort or pain caused by any of these conditions, and will soon learn what foods trigger trouble with digestion now that the gallbladder is removed. 

If you have a question for Dr. FIT, email her at everybodysfit@gmail.com and be sure to check out her website www.everybodysfitoceanside.com