A woman in China had to have over 200 stones removed from her liver and gallbladder.
Dr. Quan Xuwei, one of the several surgeons who did the operation, said the condition is the result of 10 years of skipped breakfasts and frequent consumption of leftovers.
Quan said the woman, only known as Ms. Chen, is one of many of his gallstone patients who frequently skip or scarf down their breakfasts. He said skipping breakfasts causing bile to accumulate in the gallbladder, which can lead to high levels of calcium and cholesterol.
There was no notation about skipping dinner or lunch.
British Society of Gastroenterology Vice President Dr. George Webster, said the time a person eats their food does not contribute to the presence of liver or gallstones and that any claim to this is pure speculation.
Webster said liver and gall stones are problematic around the world but tend to occur more in people who live in eastern Asia and China.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two kinds of gallstones:
· Cholesterol gallstones made up of undissolved cholesterol and have a yellowish appearance. These are most common.
· Pigment gallstones have a black or dark brown appearance and appear when there’s an excessive amount of bilirubin in the bile.
Liver stones and gallstones are similar but in different parts of the body.
Gallstones that originate in the bile duct are known as bile duct stones. They develop in the gallbladder and travel into the bile or they actually develop in the bile duct. The stones are lodged in the duct, leading to a blockage. There are some stones that will pass on their own, but when they do become lodged in the duct, medical assistance is often needed. If no medical help is provided, it can lead to inflammation, bacterial infection and sometimes organ damage.
Chen’s surgery took nearly seven hours to complete the removal of more than 200 stones – some of which were as big as eggs. Should Quan’s theory actually be correct, eating breakfast could keep her from having egg-sized stones again.
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