Heart-healthy diet protects against gallstones

Men who eat a diet low in saturated fat to prevent heart disease may also prevent gallstones, says a study of more than 45,000 men. In the study, men who ate the most unsaturated fats—those found in olive oil, canola oil and other plant oils—were 18 percent less likely to develop gallstones than those with the lowest consumption of unsaturated fats. Increasing consumption of unsaturated fats can make cell walls more sensitive to insulin which, in turn, reduces gallstone formation. Other studies have also shown that unsaturated fats tend to prevent gallstone formation. A Greek study found that high consumption of olive oil reduced the incidence of gallstones, and a study of Arabs in Gaza and Jews in Tel Aviv found that the Arabs consumed more unsaturated fats and had a lower incidence of gallstones.

Annals of Internal Medicine, October 2004