October 04, 2004

A diet high in unsaturated fats, found mainly in vegetable oils, nuts and fish, may reduce the risk of developing gallstones in men, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The 14 year study included 45,756 men, age 40 to 75 years from 1986 to 2000.

All study participants were health professionals free of gallstones or gallbladder disease when the study started in 1986.

Every 2 years, the study participants completed a questionnaire which provided the researchers with information on all aspects of their health, including, their diet, whether or not they developed gallstones, of if their gallbladder had been removed.

The researchers documented 2323 new cases of gallstone disease over 14 years of follow-up.

According to the researchers, the men who ate the most cis unsaturated fat were 18 percent less likely to develop gallstones compared with men who ate the least.

For the most part, a Mediterranean diet is rich in unsaturated fats and has been associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.