Can Eggs Cause Gallbladder Problems?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Can eggs cause gallbladder problems?

Yes! I have seen a wide variety of Clients’ digestive and gallbladder symptoms improve after eliminating eggs.

This is true whether you have a gallbladder or not.

What Does the Gallbladder Do?

The liver makes bile and sends it to the gallbladder underneath the liver. The Gallbladder concentrates and stores bile until needed to digest fats.

The Gallbladder is connected to the top of the small intestine (the Duodenum) by a bile duct. As you eat, the gallbladder pumps bile through the duct and into the intestine, emulsifying fats for digestion by the enzyme Lipase. These fats carry the fat-soluble Vitamins A, D, K and E throughout the body.

How Eggs Cause Gallbladder Problems

• Food sensitivity to eggs
• Or reaction to Fat and Cholesterol?

Food Sensitivity to Eggs

Dr. Jonathan Wright cited a study by Dr. J.C. Breneman in 2018 that tested food sensitivities and the gall bladder with an elimination diet. The study was titled: Food Allergy as a Cause of Gallbladder Disease.

The test showed that eggs were by far the #1 food sensitivity causing gallbladder spasm when eating eggs after an elimination period.

92.8% of participants reported pain after eating eggs. 

Here are two slides from that presentation showing egg sensitivity affecting the Gallbladder. See Slides #15 and #16 here.

Fat and Cholesterol in Eggs

The medical view of fats and gallbladder disease relates only to the saturated fat and cholesterol content in eggs. “Conventional” wisdom says to avoid meats, fats, butter in general.

Most websites discussing what to eat for the gallbladder refer only to the fat content of egg yolks as what is bad for gallbladder health.

Some medical sites say to avoid egg yolks, some say they are OK.

Science no longer supports the view that a conservative amount of eggs is bad for you. Read more here on cholesterol and heart disease – what does the science say?

This article and Podcast review the 2015 USDA report that quietly declared cholesterol safe – a food no longer “a nutrient of concern”.

Eating Eggs Without a Gallbladder

If you have lost your Gallbladder, do an egg elimination and provocation trial.  

Eliminate them 100% (mayo, dressings, baked goods, etc.) for at least 2 to 3 months and watch for beneficial changes in digestion, pain, headaches, nausea and bowels.

Then try 1 to 2 egg yolks a week, with a gently cooked pastured yolk. Do this for a few weeks observing for digestive symptoms, pain, changes in stool. 

If that goes well (and you’re paying attention), try just cooked egg white, 2 per week for several weeks.

Then try the whole egg 2 or 3 per week if no issues.

If you’re nauseous, burping, dizzy or in pain, eggs are not good for your particular gallbladder system – even if the Gallbladder itself has been removed. The occasional egg may be fine but not every week.

Eggs are eliminated in Paleo Autoimmune Protocols and Dr. Terry Wahl’s diet as well.

What to Eat When You Have No Gallbladder

1. Gluten-free foods
2. Cooked vegetables
3. Moderate amounts of fruit
4. Minimal other grains as well, especially corn
5. Leaner meats, poultry and seafoods
6. Controlled use of butter, ghee, avocado oil, coconut oil, etc.

What to Eat for Breakfast Without Eggs

I always advise Clients – whether eating eggs or not – to eat dinner for all meals. 

This means breakfast, lunch and dinner should look pretty much the same – proteins, vegetables, fats, and perhaps a small serving of tuber such as potato or yam. 

This recipe roundup from dozens of Paleo bloggers has ideas for you to break the egg habit. 

Elimination Diet for Gallbladder Pain

Avoid these foods for several weeks or months before trying them slowly one at a time:

• Dairy (except butter and ghee)
• Eggs
• Gluten (here’s why)
• Corn
• Canola  and other Hydrogenated Oils
• Processed foods 
• Refined sugar and high carb “foods”
• Fatty meats such as ribs

Help With Your New Diet

Contact me for diet Consults and what supplements I recommend for the Gallbladder.