Moderate drinking cuts risk of gallstones

As a part of the study, researchers from the University of East Anglia examined the dietary habits of 25,639 people over a period of 10 years. Their main focus was to compare alcohol intake with the risk developing symptomatic gallstones.

During this period, 267 of the volunteers developed gallstones. The researchers observed that those who developed gallstones were, on an average, 62-year-old and more than two-thirds were women.

What the study found
The researchers found that those in the highest alcohol group had a 32 percent lower risk of suffering from gallstones as opposed to those who abstained from drinking or had very little alcohol.

According to researchers, people who consumed two units of alcohol daily saw their chances of developing gallstones diminishing by one-third. They also found that every unit of alcohol consumed per week cut the risk of developing the painful stones by three percent.

Significance of the findings
Dr Andrew Hart, senior lecturer in gastroenterology at UEA's School Of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, in Norwich, said the study gave them insight towards finding a way to stop the formation of gallstones.

He added, “Once we examine all the factors related to their development in our study in Britain, including diet, exercise, body weight and alcohol intake, we can develop a precise understanding of what causes gallstones and how to prevent them.”

Study leader Dr Paul Banim, a clinical lecturer at the University of East Anglia and a specialist registrar in gastroenterology, disclosed that alcohol increased the levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, which shields against cardiovascular diseases and maintains the composition of cholesterol in the bile.

He said that heavy consumption of alcohol is hazardous to health, but the study will help guide doctors on how to avoid formation of gallstones without indulging in excessive drinking.

Professor Chris Hawkey, president of the British Society of Gastroenterology, declared the study as interesting but had a word of caution.

He said, "Moderate alcohol below recommended limits is associated with good health. But alcohol is addictive and drinkers must be careful not to escalate their intake."

Dr Hart presented his findings at the Digestive Disease Week’s annual meeting in Chicago.

About gallstones
Gallstones are solid lumps that sometimes form in the bile inside the gallbladder. They develop when bile becomes oversaturated with cholesterol from the diet or from the body's natural production. When the bile salts are no longer able to keep the cholesterol dissolved in liquid form, it begins to clump together, eventually forming stones that can be as small as peas or as large as golf balls.

The stones may cause no problem when very small. However, when a gallstone passes into the bile duct, it can be extremely painful and may even require surgery.