Why do gallstones form?

Bile is continuously produced by the liver but is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder. Its main function is to emulsify fats, meaning to break them down into tiny droplets, which facilitates the work of pancreatic enzymes.

The release of bile into the duodenum occurs specifically in response to food intake, especially those containing fats, as fat stimulates the secretion of the hormone cholecystokinin, which causes the gallbladder to contract.

If the diet is low in fats:

• the gallbladder does not empty for a long time;
• bile stagnates and becomes thicker;
• its composition is disrupted: the concentration of phospholipids and bile acids decreases, while the relative content of cholesterol increases;
• under stagnant conditions, cholesterol and bilirubin begin to crystallize, serving as a "nucleus" for the formation of stones.
• This is how gallstones (cholelithiasis) are formed.

In addition to rare fat consumption, the development of stone formation is facilitated by:

• hormonal factors (for example, estrogens increase the saturation of bile with cholesterol, which is why women are at higher risk);
• magnesium deficiency and calcium metabolism disorders (calcium is involved in the precipitation of salts in stones);
• decreased gastrointestinal motility (sedentary lifestyle, infrequent meals);
• protein deficiency (as protein is needed for the normal synthesis of bile acids).

Thus, stones are primarily the result of stagnation and changes in bile composition, and infrequent emptying of the gallbladder due to low fat intake is one of the key factors.