Eggs........

I believe there may be two main reasons why eggs may cause a gallbladder reaction; food allergies and fat.

Firstly the high fat content of the yolk and the amount of lecithin present in eggs may cause a contraction in the gallbladder whilst a stone or sludge partially blocks the common bile ducts and this leads to pain.

Secondly, food allergies may have a connection to gallbladder symptoms. There is a particular protein/s present in some eggs that commonly causes a allergic reaction. The stomach, duodenum and bile duct may react by local inflammation or even hives and this impedes the flow of bile causing pain. Trials have shown that allergy- Elimination Diets dramatically improved gallbladder symptoms in 100 percent of his test subjects. The foods most likely to cause symptoms were eggs, followed by pork, onions, poultry, milk, coffee, oranges, corn, beans and nuts.

I have suffer from this problem with eggs which not only cause me intense biliary pain but also cause hives on my skin around the gallbladder area and other places. I even had the same reaction by handling broad bean seeds which helped me solve the mystery. Since flushing the attacks have almost gone and I can enjoy eggs once more.

Additional information

Lecithin is a natural component of fatty foods, especially eggs and organ meats, but low-fat diet trends have reduced our lecithin intake. Aside from bile acids, phospholipids such as lecithin are the principal bile components that keep cholesterol in solution. Research suggests that egg lecithin may be better than other types such as soy lecithin in preventing cholesterol precipitation in the bile. Studies show as little as 300 mg of lecithin per day can raise lecithin levels in the bile.

Some studies have shown fats in the form of cholesterol actually protect against stone formation in humans. In one study, a majority of test subjects fed five to 10 eggs a day for six weeks experienced a decrease in their cholesterol/bile acid ratio. This occurred despite a slight increase in serum cholesterol levels. In another study, risk of gallstone formation decreased when cholesterol consumption increased. The explanation for this paradox may be that the liver synthesises less cholesterol as dietary cholesterol increases.