I heard the 4 F's for gallstones were fat, fair, forty & female.

Well, I'm definitely all of the above...except the fat part is somewhat less than it used to be. Hoooooray!

The short version (in my neck of the woods ) is fair, fat and forty. The longer version is fair, fat, forty, fertile and flatulent.
Hmm, the last one's a problem that has been solved for me by low carbing!
As for the others, no longer fair, less fat, not forty anymore and not fertile anymore either!

Rosebud

I have a sister-in-law who developed gallstones ~10 years ago. Had two opinions from physicians and both felt the bladder needed to be removed. She was not wanting that and is more into a wholistic approach of the body and prefers not to remove anything unless necessary. She found a ''concoction" through a naturalistic physician which consisted of drinking all natural apple juice with olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon. This only had to be performed one or two days. I'm sorry for the details, but she said that she "passed" some of the nastiest secretions anyone could imagine, however...she still has her gallbladder 10 years later and has not had a reoccurence.

If I remember correctly, she too was on a lower fat way of eating at the time.

Hi, PTJody. The treatment which your sister-in-law undertook is precisely what is advocated on the site I mentioned a few posts back. Glad to see it works. If ever I get gallstones, it's certainly what I will use.
I read only today in a newspaper report, of a man who has had a keyhole operation for gallstone removal. His gall bladder was removed at the same time merely, it appears, because it was convenient to do so. Good job that chiropodists don't have the same attitude towards foot problems!

Rosemary Conley's Hip and Thigh diet resulted in so many of my friends losing weight AND their gall bladder I quit following it, as people realised the low fat was why their gall bladders had had to go.
Kae

I took a *break* from low carb and tried a one day gallbladder flush. At 5 green apples, drank water and herbal tea and nothing else. That night I drank 2/3 cup olive oil mixed with 1/3 fresh squeezed lemon juice and went to bed. I woke up an hour later with nausea that lasted for the next FOUR HOURS. I got cleaned out quite well, but didn't see any stones. Examining my own stools almost made me hurl all by itself.

I think I'd rather go thru surgery to have the STONES removed (not the gallbladder) than to do that flush again. UGH!!!!