Nutritional risk factors for gallstones. Epidemiological analysis

This article reviews the role of nutrition in the incidence of gallstones. The epidemiological situation of gallbladder disease has wide worldwide geo graphical variations, being Pima Indians and the Chileans the most affected populations. The main nutritional risk factor is obesity. Other risk are s erum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, unbalanced and excessive caloric intake, fasting periods of more than eight hours, hypocaloric diets of less than 700 Kcal/day, specially in obese subjects and parenteral nutrition la sting more than two weeks. The main conclusion of this revision is that nut ritional behaviors of the population must be improved through public health programs to reduce the incidence of obesity and related nutritional imbala nces.