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Diet for cholecystitis

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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An important stage of treatment is considered to be a diet for cholecystitis, which is aimed at reducing the consumption of foods with cholesterol and increasing the amount of fiber. The diet therapy program is compiled individually depending on the severity and stage of the disease. The patient is required to divide the daily diet into 5-6 meals, three of which will be the most dense. Fractional nutrition prevents bile stagnation, reduces pain syndrome and improves digestion.

Inflammation of the gallbladder or bile ducts is found in 10% of the population. Cholecystitis is unpleasant because of its painful sensations and is fraught with serious consequences. In addition to the formation of stones, the disease is dangerous because of the blockage of the bile ducts, which disrupts bile outflow, threatens peritonitis and even death.

Chronic and acute cholecystitis is characterized by severe pain on the right side, bitter belching, nausea and a yellowish tint to the skin. The patient's condition worsens after eating fried and fatty foods. Negative factors include excess body weight, poor nutrition, excessive alcohol consumption, overeating, chronic infections, smoking, pregnancy and heredity.

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Diet for cholecystitis and pancreatitis

The inflammatory process in the gallbladder, developing when the bile duct is blocked against the background of pathogenic microflora, is called cholecystitis. Inflammation in turn can spread to nearby organs, such as the pancreas, causing pancreatitis.

It is possible to alleviate the patient's condition and achieve rapid remission through proper treatment, as well as by following a diet. In acute pancreatitis, fasting for several days is indicated. The diet for cholecystitis and pancreatitis has common features:

  • increase protein intake while simultaneously reducing fatty and carbohydrate foods;
  • exclude fatty, smoked, pickled, and spicy foods;
  • You should drink up to 2-2.5 liters of water per day;
  • It is preferable to steam or boil food and then puree it (especially during periods of exacerbation of the disease);
  • It is important to monitor the temperature of the food you eat (very hot or cold food is prohibited);
  • It is better to forget about first courses with rich broths and eat vegetarian soups;
  • food should be chewed as much as possible and rushing during the meal should be avoided;
  • the foods consumed should not cause bloating, increased gas formation, active production of gastric juice and prolonged digestion;
  • use of herbal infusions (immortelle, calendula, barberry or chicory bark, lingonberry leaves).

The diet for cholecystitis and pancreatitis prohibits the intake of the following products:

  • first courses with meat/fish/mushroom broths and fried vegetables;
  • fatty meat, fish products and semi-finished products;
  • baked goods, white/black bread, pastries;
  • white cabbage, beans, radishes, garlic, onions, horseradish;
  • coffee and cocoa containing drinks, carbonated drinks;
  • alcohol;
  • chocolate, creamy and fatty desserts, ice cream.

It should be noted that with pancreatitis, you cannot eat raw fruits and vegetables, as well as figs, bananas, and grapes. Wheat, barley, corn, and pearl barley are also restricted. During the treatment of cholecystitis, you should avoid sour fruits and berries, horseradish, and mustard.

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Diet for gastritis and cholecystitis

The main goal of diet therapy is to reduce the load on the affected organs, promoting the normalization of the gallbladder and its ducts, restoring the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and the intestinal lining.

The diet for gastritis and cholecystitis includes increasing the amount of plant fiber and liquid in the diet. Cholecystitis requires stricter restrictions - the level of animal and vegetable fats is reduced as much as possible. Gastritis does not require a complete rejection of fatty foods, but only the elimination of intolerable or products that provoke an exacerbation of the disease.

In case of cholecystitis and gastritis it is prohibited:

  • salted, smoked and canned fish;
  • smoked meat, fatty meat, offal;
  • rich broths or fried;
  • fried pies, baked goods, white bread;
  • fatty milk products and cheeses;
  • legumes;
  • cakes, pastries, desserts with butter cream;
  • chocolate, ice cream;
  • hot, spicy;
  • strong tea/coffee, cocoa;
  • vegetables containing oxalic acid, as well as radishes and garlic;
  • lard, margarine, ghee.

Patients with gastritis are advised to limit their consumption of onions, tomatoes, apples and vegetables/fruits that cause acute reactions and exacerbation of the condition.

The diet for acute cholecystitis and gastritis involves fasting for several days - strictly on rice, kefir, cereals, cottage cheese or watermelon. If the clinical symptoms are intolerable, then it is recommended to limit yourself to drinking for two days (jelly, fruit drink, herbal decoctions, water). The further diet can be diversified with pureed food and porridges on water without fats.

Diet for gastroduodenitis and cholecystitis

A frequent companion of cholecystitis in the presence of pathogenic microorganisms is gastroduodenitis - a pathology of the mucous membrane of the duodenum and the outlet zone of the stomach.

The diet for gastroduodenitis and cholecystitis includes eating pureed vegetable soups (pumpkin, carrot, zucchini, cauliflower) or dairy first courses. Patients are recommended to eat an omelet based on egg whites, low-fat steamed meat/fish, cottage cheese and its derivatives (casseroles, cheesecakes, etc.). Among the fruits, choose non-acidic ones, from which it is better to make jelly and compotes or eat them in pureed form. Freshly squeezed juices are allowed only in diluted form. Weak coffee/tea with low-fat cream are allowed.

Canned food, smoked products, baked goods, various pastries and cakes, fresh bakery products made from premium wheat are prohibited. Patients should avoid chocolate, ice cream, caviar, and also refuse citrus fruits, sauces, ketchups, spices and excessive amounts of salt.

During an exacerbation of gastroduodenitis, you cannot drink milk, beer, Coca-Cola, or coffee. Chronic gastroduodenitis requires herbal infusions and mineral water. Herbal treatment begins after the acute symptoms subside. As for mineral water, the difference in the method of administration depends on the acidity of the gastric juice. In case of increased acidity, mineral water is heated to 40 ° C and drunk quickly an hour before a meal. With reduced acidity, water is drunk 10-15 minutes before a meal, slowly, in small sips. For normal acidity, drinking is recommended half an hour before a meal, in small sips.

An individual diet for cholecystitis and gastroduodenitis should take into account dietary restrictions depending on the patient's weight, age, and general condition, since a sharp reduction in food volume is fraught with problems with the thyroid gland (insufficient hormone production slows down metabolism). Fasting is also dangerous because it provokes dysbacteriosis and exacerbation of certain diseases (gastritis, ulcers, gallstone disease, etc.).

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Diet for acute cholecystitis

The condition of acute cholecystitis is characterized by a sharp deterioration in health, accompanied by fever, vomiting and often requires immediate hospitalization.

The diet for acute cholecystitis is particularly strict. In order to reduce the load on the gastrointestinal tract, only berry and fruit drinks (compote, jelly), half diluted with water, are allowed for the first two days. Rosehip, chamomile, mint or lemon balm decoctions, which are drunk warm, will come in handy. The next few days should be strictly pureed porridge and vegetable soups. It will be relevant to eat small portions of food with plenty of fluids. Porridges and soups are prepared with milk and water (proportion 1:1). Preference is given to rice, oatmeal and semolina. Among vegetables, cauliflower and broccoli remain favorites. Ripe and sweet berries are suitable for fruit mousse/jelly. Still mineral water is allowed, which is diluted with boiled water.

The diet is expanded as the patient recovers, which occurs approximately by the second week of diet therapy. The patient is not recommended to immediately arrange a "feast of the stomach", and in some cases the restrictions may be long-term. The diet for cholecystitis during the period of exacerbation prohibits smoked foods, spicy, fatty, hot, unmashed first courses. Legumes, pearl barley, millet, mushrooms, chocolate products and pastries can provoke a new wave of exacerbations and weaken the digestive function.

Diet for chronic cholecystitis

The diagnosis of chronic cholecystitis is periods of attenuation and resumption of pathological symptoms. In this case, the diet is not only a means of alleviating the painful condition, but also a way of life.

Diet therapy for chronic cholecystitis should provide a gentle regime for the liver, normalize the secretion and composition of bile. The diet for chronic cholecystitis consists of the following basic rules:

  • meals should be fractional (up to 6 meals a day), in small volumes;
  • It is important for the patient to drink enough water;
  • you should eat strictly on time, trying not to deviate from the established schedule;
  • it is advisable to reduce salt intake;
  • It is forbidden to eat excessively hot/cold foods.

In case of chronic cholecystitis, it is necessary to avoid foods that provoke an attack of biliary colic or painful spasm. The danger of a chronic disease is that it can develop into an acute process and lead to the appearance of gallstones. Of course, each patient is given their own food basket with a different list of prohibited and permitted dishes.

The average diet for chronic cholecystitis allows:

  • lean meat and fish (boiled or steamed);
  • sausages and dairy sausages;
  • soup made from cereals (peas, buckwheat, rice) or vegetables, fish soup, borscht without frying;
  • porridge, pasta made from coarse wheat, boiled potatoes;
  • bran bread, preferably yesterday's, croutons;
  • dry biscuits (not fatty, not salty);
  • vegetables, fresh fruits, salads made from them;
  • omelette, whole egg (hard-boiled) no more than one per day;
  • low-fat dairy products and cottage cheese;
  • not spicy, not salty cheeses;
  • vegetable oils, butter – in limited quantities;
  • green tea, juices, compotes, fruit drinks, herbal infusions;
  • mineral water enriched with sulfates.

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Diet for calculous cholecystitis

Calculous cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder, accompanied by the formation of stones. The calculous course of the disease is characterized by excessive accumulation of cholesterol, bilirubin and calcium salts in the gallbladder. The pathology begins with deposits in the form of flakes and mild discomfort in the abdomen, but can develop into peritonitis. The danger is represented by stones that can block the bile ducts.

A properly structured meal plan prevents the formation of stones from sediment that falls out as a result of bile stagnation. A diet for calculous cholecystitis is fractional meals in small portions at a strictly defined time, helping the body get used to the established schedule, improving appetite, absorption of nutrients and timely production of gastric juice. The daily norm of kilocalories should not exceed 2000 units, however, this restriction does not apply to food nutrition.

The diet for calculous cholecystitis should be rich in complete protein (pike perch, veal, cottage cheese, cereals, egg white, etc.) at a maximum rate of 1.5 grams per 1 kg of weight. The daily amount of carbohydrates is reduced and does not exceed 4 grams per 1 kg of body weight. Of the sweets, the following are recommended: honey, jam and juices with added sugar. The proportion of fatty foods is no more than 1 gram per kilogram. Preference is given to vegetable oils, which improve lipolytic fermentation due to unsaturated acids. Patients need to forget about dishes with cholesterol, smoked, spicy, fried, canned and alcohol. Fasting days on milk, kefir, cottage cheese and mashed berries / fruits / vegetables will bring great benefit.

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Diet for non-calculous cholecystitis

The picture of non-calculous cholecystitis is characterized by a violation of the composition of bile, the presence of parasitic organisms without the formation of stones. Manifestations of the disease are aching pain under the ribs on the right (less often under the spoon), which intensifies as a result of eating fatty, spicy, fried foods, alcohol, or when eating excessively hot/cold dishes.

An individual diet for non-calculous cholecystitis is selected based on the nature of the disease and the characteristics of the body. Rules of diet therapy:

  • frequent meals in small portions;
  • avoiding fried, fatty, spicy, hot foods, carbonated drinks and alcoholic beverages;
  • consumption of sufficient amounts of vegetables and fruits;
  • balanced diet with a reduction in fat and carbohydrate content while increasing protein and vitamin levels;
  • use of herbal medicine.

A course of herbal treatment is especially relevant during periods of exacerbation of cholecystitis. To relieve pain symptoms, chamomile and mint decoctions are used, calendula flowers, rose hips, sorrel root, and licorice are also irreplaceable.

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Diet after cholecystitis

When attacks of acute and chronic cholecystitis subside, special courses of therapeutic exercise, drinking mineral water, blind dubage (probe-less rinsing of the bile ducts with mineral water) are indicated. Daily walks and moderate physical activity, as well as a special diet for cholecystitis, cope well with bile stasis.

The clinical course of the gallbladder pathology, the features and stage of the disease are the determining factors in the need to continue diet therapy. You should not rely on your own feelings, since the disease can hide and collapse with a new wave of pain as a result of uncontrolled gluttony. It is important for patients with any form of cholecystitis to listen to the recommendations of the attending physician. The diet after cholecystitis can be just as strict, including only steamed and mashed food. Each specific case has its own prescriptions and prohibitions. It is also unacceptable to sharply expand the diet after diet treatment, this can lead to overload of the gastrointestinal tract, stagnation of bile and the return of the disease-causing condition. It is good to continue introducing weekly fasting days, it is important not to overeat at night, adhere to the daily routine and not to be nervous. Only the presence of all these components will be the key to effective recovery.

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Diet after surgery for cholecystitis

Bile from the liver, if the body is healthy, enters the gallbladder, where it reaches the necessary concentration for digestion and absorption of meat, fish dishes, dairy products and other fats. The further path of bile is the duodenum, where it passes in small portions as food is added. If the gallbladder has been removed, the movement of bile is limited to the liver and duodenum. Moreover, bile does not have the necessary concentration and performs the functions of digestive juice, capable of coping with a small portion of food.

Why is a diet necessary after surgery for cholecystitis? Only fractional meals in small portions (6-7 meals) can protect a person who has undergone surgery from bile stagnation and the formation of stones in the hepatic ducts. During the first months, when the body adapts to the changed working conditions, only boiled/steamed and mashed dishes are allowed. The diet for cholecystitis and after surgery is expanded gradually, animal protein, seasonal fruits and vegetables are introduced. The following are excluded: fats, complex carbohydrates, smoked foods, canned food, alcoholic beverages.

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Diet for exacerbation of cholecystitis

It should be noted that exacerbation of cholecystitis occurs with stagnation of bile as a result of a sedentary lifestyle, frequent stressful situations, addiction to alcohol and poor nutrition. Performing a gymnastic complex is not recommended for patients with acute calculous cholecystitis, since physical exercise and even ordinary movements can lead to hepatic colic.

The diet for exacerbation of cholecystitis involves eating only pureed foods for several days. The patient must understand that after the end of the exacerbation phase, this rule is canceled, and only meat with veins is subjected to thorough grinding. In the exacerbation stage, you cannot abuse salt, it is important to exclude fried, fatty, spicy and other provocateurs.

A balanced diet for cholecystitis is an optimal ratio of plant and animal proteins, as well as sufficient vitamins, minerals and plant fiber. It should be remembered that during an exacerbation of the pathology, eggs are completely prohibited. Patients can enjoy a steamed egg white omelet to avoid increased pain and an attack of hepatic colic.

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Diet for cholecystitis in children

In childhood, chronic cholecystitis with periods of exacerbation and remission is more common. Often, cholecystitis in adult patients is latent inflammation of the gallbladder of babies that was not diagnosed in time. The acute period of the disease in children occurs against the background of intoxication, fever, severe pain and requires bed rest. To improve bile outflow, corn silk extract is used at the rate of 1 drop for each year of life.

The diet for cholecystitis in children is based on the use of protein, carbohydrates with a simultaneous reduction in fats. Children are prohibited from fried, fatty, smoked, spicy foods, chocolate, cakes, pastries. Treatment should be comprehensive and include:

  • taking medications;
  • adherence to diet No. 5 during periods of exacerbation of symptoms and a gentle diet for at least six months;
  • herbal therapy;
  • the right balance between rest and physical activity.

In clinical practice, two common groups of cholecystitis are distinguished - infectious and parasitic types, therefore, an important place in therapy is occupied by the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and drugs against protozoa (lamblia). "Drotaverine" and "no-shpa" will help relieve spasm.

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Diet for cholecystitis during pregnancy

Unfortunately, the period of waiting for a baby can be overshadowed by an exacerbation of cholecystitis and gallstone disease. Pregnancy imposes restrictions on the use of drugs, herbal treatment and pharmacological dissolution of stones. To ensure normal development of the fetus, a pregnant woman should not self-medicate; it is better to consult a competent specialist.

The diet for cholecystitis during pregnancy should provide adequate nutrition for the expectant mother and child. A strict taboo is imposed on coarse food and refractory fats. A pregnant woman should avoid marinades, pickles, smoked foods, spicy, hot and fried foods. The method of cooking dishes is in a steamer, boiled, stewed. You will also have to forget about fatty desserts, cakes, pastries, and soda.

Pregnant women are often recommended choleretic agents - sorbitol or xylitol, which facilitate the normal flow of bile and help fight constipation. If there is no allergic predisposition, decoctions of medicinal herbs (corn silk, rose hips, chamomile, calendula, etc.) will be an excellent remedy.

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Diet 5 for cholecystitis

Dietitian Mikhail Pevzner has described diet therapy options for a number of diseases. Among them is diet 5 for cholecystitis, which, depending on the phase of the disease, stimulates bile flow or, on the contrary, ensures rest for the biliary system.

An acute condition requires a reduction in the load on all parts of the gastrointestinal tract, so in the first days, limit yourself to drinking plenty of still mineral water, rosehip infusion, and herbal teas. In the chronic form of the disease, you should avoid overeating, alcohol, spicy, fried, smoked, and fatty foods. To prevent constipation and other digestive disorders, your diet should contain a sufficient amount of plant fiber, since it is undesirable to resort to laxatives for chronic cholecystitis.

If the disease is accompanied by severe bile stasis, then a special lipotropic-fat diet 5 for cholecystitis will help normalize the gallbladder. In this case, it is necessary to increase the daily consumption of vegetable fats to 130 grams. It is important to remember that butter or any vegetable oil is added at the end of cooking, they should not be heated. If there is a lack of natural vitamins, the attending physician can prescribe their pharmacological analogues.

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Diet for cholecystitis: menu for every day

Dietary nutrition is prepared for each specific patient on an individual basis, which is associated with the possibility of developing a negative reaction to a number of products.

  • Diet for cholecystitis menu:
  • first meal – cottage cheese pudding, oatmeal. Herbal/green tea;
  • second breakfast – raw carrots and fruit. Rosehip decoction/tea;
  • main meal – vegetarian soup with low-fat sour cream. Steamed meat (for example, beef or rabbit), which can be baked after steaming. Stewed zucchini. Juice/jelly;
  • second lunch – rosehip infusion with dry, unsalted cookies;
  • For dinner – steamed fish with mashed potatoes. Compote/tea.

Or

  • first meal – egg white omelette and tea (you can add milk);
  • second breakfast – baked apples, mashed into puree;
  • main meal – cream soup with rice and vegetables. Boiled/steamed chicken with buckwheat. Pudding/jelly;
  • second lunch – herbal infusion with sweet crackers;
  • for dinner – steamed fish with vegetable puree and tea;
  • before bed - kefir or jelly.

The diet for cholecystitis involves taking the following during the day: white and coarse bread – no more than 200 g, sugar – up to 70 g. Portions of food should not exceed 150-200 g.

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Diet recipes for cholecystitis

The following are the recipes for a diet for cholecystitis:

  • Pumpkin pudding - 100g peeled pumpkin, 10g semolina, 150g apples, 20g milk, 1-2 eggs, 10g sugar, a pinch of salt, 8g butter. Grate the apples and pumpkin. Stew the pumpkin in milk until almost done, add the apples and sugar and bring to softness. Then add the semolina and simmer the mixture over low heat (stirring constantly) for about 10 minutes. Add the yolks to the cooled mixture. Beat the whites separately into a light foam and carefully add to the mixture. Place the pudding in a greased form and send it to a double boiler;
  • Milk soup-puree with meat and milk - 60g beef, 20g rice, 100g milk, 3g egg yolk, 5g butter, a pinch of salt. Grind the pre-cooked beef, rub through a sieve. Boil the rice and strain. Mix the water after the rice with the meat and bring to a boil. Add the milk-egg mixture, which is prepared in advance in a water bath, to the cooled soup (at least 60 degrees). Add the yolks to the milk (about 60-70 degrees) and cook until a thick consistency is achieved;
  • Carrot, beetroot and sea buckthorn puree – boil beetroot and carrot (25g of each product) without peel and rub into puree. Extract juice from sea buckthorn (20g). Pour boiling water over the remaining “husk” and boil for about 10 minutes, then strain. Add 8g of sugar to the sea buckthorn broth and boil for several minutes. Combine the puree with sea buckthorn syrup and wait for it to boil. Add sea buckthorn juice at the end. Serve cold.

Diet for cholecystitis is an important stage of therapy, but the patient needs to control the level of stress, give up bad habits, and normalize sleep. Only normalization of lifestyle with the necessary drug treatment helps to achieve a lasting result and long-term remission.

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