Can I do keto if I don’t have a gallbladder?

Fortunately for those who have had their gallbladder removed,  your body can still digest fat without the help of our gallbladder. In fact, most people will be able to follow their normal diet within a month after surgery. This also means that you can adapt to the keto diet within a month after surgery as well.

During that first month, it is important to follow these recommendations:

  • For the first few days, stick with clear liquids and easy to digest foods. After that, gradually add more solid foods back into your diet.
  • Eat smaller meals on a more frequent basis until your body adapts to higher fat meals.
  • Make sure you have foods that are high in soluble fiber like low carb vegetables or keto bread with your meals.
  • Take an ox bile supplement if you are struggling to digest higher fat meals.

After a month of easing into keto by following these suggestions, you should be able to follow the standard keto diet without any problem.

However, if you find that your body is still struggling to adjust to keto, try implementing some of these recommendations as well:

  • Follow a moderate fat diet and slowly increase your fat intake until you are following the keto diet by the end of the month.
  • Take MCTs (i.e., caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acids) to supplement your fat intake. These fats don’t require bile for digestion.
  • Consume ginger or ginger tea with your meals to help improve fat absorption.
  • Make sure you are hydrated and consuming plenty of potassium, sodium, and magnesium (check out this article for specific recommendations).

If you’d like to learn more about how to follow keto without a gallbladder, check out our in-depth article on the topic.

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