Can you eat popcorn without a gallbladder?

In this brief article we will answer the question, “Can you eat popcorn without a gallbladder?” and discuss how you can eat popcorn after the removal of the gallbladder and recommend diets to follow after having your gallbladder removed.

Can you eat popcorn without a gallbladder?

Yes, you can eat popcorn without a gallbladder. However, you should not add butter to the popcorn and prepare the popcorn without oil (3). 

After gallbladder removal it is recommended you stay away from foods with high-fat, fried, greasy foods, and fatty sauces and gravies (1,2). 

Popcorn without the addition of fat is a very low fat food and contains only 2.5 g of fats in 100 g of popped popcorn (4).

Can you eat microwave popcorn without a gallbladder?

Yes, you can eat microwave popcorn without gallbladder, however, it is not recommended to do that, as a low fat diet should be followed after the removal of the gallbladder (1,2).

Classic microwave butter flavored popcorn contains about 30 g of fat from palm oil for each 100 g of popped popcorn (5).

Popcorn is a good snack due to its high amount of fiber and is recommended for patients suffering from gallbladder disease (2). After the gallbladder removal, fibers should be slowly included in the diet (1).

What foods are good if you have had your gallbladder removed?

Foods that are low in fats are good if you have had your gallbladder removed. Lean meats, boiled eggs, baked potatoes, low fat dairy, fruits and vegetables are recommended.

A good dietary option to be followed after the removal of the gallbladder is the so-called Mediterranean diet, because it includes fruits and vegetables, olive oil and fish, and moderate consumption of dairy products and is considered to be a healthy diet (6). A study suggested that patients that undergo gallbladder removal should adopt a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits (1).

Lower risks of having metabolic diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, infections of the gallbladder, pancreatitis and neurological diseases are reported among individuals following a Mediterranean diet.

In addition, some supplements and foods are recommended after the gallbladder removal, such as (1,2):

  • The supplementation of fat-soluble vitamins, particularly vitamin A, D, E and K, due to the reduced absorption of this vitamins as a consequence of the surgery
  • Initially a slow increase of fiber intake in the diet to reduce the risk of weight gain with an increase of the fiber intake, by the consumption of oats, barley, fruits and vegetables
  • Foods containing low amounts of fat and low amounts of sugar
  • Supplementation of prebiotics and probiotics to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms
  • Lean protein: Lean meat is essential as it is low in fat and can be easily digested. Some types of lean meats you can introduce into your diet include fish and seafood, chicken and legumes and boiled eggs
  • Low fat dairy: cottage cheese, low fat yogurt, skim milk 

How much fat is in popcorn?

The amount of fat in popcorn depends on how it is cooked. Commercial microwave popcorn is added with palm oil and contains about 30 g of fat in each 100 g (5). 

On the other hand, homemade popcorn cooked with the addition of oil contains 10 g of fat in each 100 g (4).

Popcorn cooked without the addition of oil or butter contains only 2.5 g of fat in each 100 g. 

How to make popcorn without oil?

To make popcorn without oil or butter, follow the instructions (3):

  1. Add 70 g of popcorn seeds in a large microwavable pyrex dish and close it with a lid
  2. Heat for 80 sec at the high heat setting on the microwave oven
  3. Carefully remove the pyrex dish 
  4. Discard the burned or unpopped corns

Conclusion

In this brief article we have answered the question, “Can you eat popcorn without a gallbladder?” and discussed how you can eat popcorn after the removal of the gallbladder and recommend diets to follow after having your gallbladder removed.

Citations

  1. Altomare, Donato F., Maria T. Rotelli, and Nicola Palasciano. Diet after cholecystectomy. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2019, 26, 3662-3665.
  2. Dietary advice for Gallbladder Disease. Milton Keynes University Hospital  
  3. Walradt, John Pierce. Flavor chemistry of popcorn. 1969. Oregon State University
  4. Prasanthi PS, Naveena N, Vishnuvardhana Rao M, Bhaskarachary K. Compositional variability of nutrients and phytochemicals in corn after processing. J Food Sci Technol. 2017 54, 1080-1090. 
  5. Microwave popcorn butter flavored. Food Data Central. United States Department of Agriculture  
  6. Bükülmez, Ayşegül, and Lütfi Molon. Evaluation of mediterranean diet adherence in children diagnosed with pancreatitis: A case-control study. Nutr Hosp 2021, 38

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