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How Many Grams Of Fat Per Meal Can A Person Normally Digest?

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Posted on Wed, 8 Apr 2015
Question: Without getting into the conversation of whether a no- or low-fat diet is good for you, how many grams of fat per meal can a person normally digest if they have a healthy liver and gallbladder?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Neel Kudchadkar (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
A high fat diet can be good for you.

Detailed Answer:
Hi!
I will directly answer your question by saying that regardless of your weight, height and age, a fat component to carbohydrate part of 4:1 or even 3:1 can be consumed. This is called a ketogenic diet because, it forces the body to burn fats faster instead of carbohydrates (like bread and rice), causing a physiological state of ketosis in the body due to increase in ketones in the blood. This diet can be beneficial to general health too.

To make it simple let's say you are eating a 100gm meal. what I mean to say is that >60gms can be fat based. There are a wide variety of diets to select from. This will have negligible impact on your system. I hope the exact ratios I have provided in my illustration help. Take care of your health.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Pradeep Vitta
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Neel Kudchadkar (2 days later)
Thank you kindly Dr. Kudchadkar! Are there ever situations where eating high-fat diets like this would be contraindicated - say if you're gallbladder isn't working optimally, or if you're not producing adequate bile salts etc.?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Neel Kudchadkar (13 hours later)
Brief Answer:
A high fat diet actually helps your gallbladder and bile ducts.

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXX,

There is a direct relationship between your diet and your gallbladder. A high fat diet is also called as an LCHF diet. that's a short form for Low Carbohydrate High Fat diet. The fact is that a high fat diet causes your gall bladder to secrete more enzymes to digest the fat. There is a very interesting point here. If you HAVE gallstones, then they may be initially flushed out of your system. This could even lead to a mild attack of gallstones and their sequels. LCHF diets actually help in taking charge of the gall bladder and keep it working well continually. It's like the saying "Use it, or lose it". There is a controversy in the medical world about LCHF diets. I feel and believe that you'll actually benefit from it, and since you have not mentioned anything about gallstones in your history, you only stand to benefit. The only risk is that which is imposed by self discipline in eating. Barring that, there are no real issues here.
Nevertheless, I would politely recommend that you see a local dietician, and initially start off with a ketogenic LCHF diet under supervision.
Please take care of your health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Neel Kudchadkar (2 days later)
Dr. Kudchadkar thank you so much for your input. I appreciate getting insights from physicians such as yourself on this matter who are not influenced by medical schools in XXXXXXX which teach that no- or low-fat diets are the only way to go. Many doctors in XXXXXXX have to unlearn what they learned in medical school here once they graduate. Are you saying that gallstones would be the only exception and contraindication to an LCHF diet - or that exercising the gallbladder with such a diet will flush stones out? I had a recent abdominal ultrasound, and no gallstones showed up on that imaging. I already eat quite a bit of fat at each meal - around 45 grams I'd say, mostly from animal products and nutritious oils such as coconut oil, ghee, and olive oil - and I seem to thrive on it. A lot of patients with gastrointestinal challenges will adhere to a gut-healing nutritional protocol by a Dr. XXXXXXX Campbell-McBride called the GAPS diet, which stands for Gut And Psychology Syndrome - an allusion to the intimate correlation between gut and brain health. This nutritional protocol employs use of ample protein and good fats for reason of GI healing properties.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Neel Kudchadkar (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Hight fat diets - the ultimate solution.

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXX,

I appreciate your good wishes.

You are absolutely right about the LCHF diet. Kindly implement it. The only downside is that IF YOU ALREADY HAVE GALL STONES, they will be flushed out.
You haven't any gall stones, so it's very easy for you to switch to a total 4:1 ratio diet or the diet that you currently imbibe.

Have some great meals.
Take care, you can contact me on this link.
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-neel-kudchadkar/69838
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Neel Kudchadkar

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 532 Questions

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How Many Grams Of Fat Per Meal Can A Person Normally Digest?

Brief Answer: A high fat diet can be good for you. Detailed Answer: Hi! I will directly answer your question by saying that regardless of your weight, height and age, a fat component to carbohydrate part of 4:1 or even 3:1 can be consumed. This is called a ketogenic diet because, it forces the body to burn fats faster instead of carbohydrates (like bread and rice), causing a physiological state of ketosis in the body due to increase in ketones in the blood. This diet can be beneficial to general health too. To make it simple let's say you are eating a 100gm meal. what I mean to say is that >60gms can be fat based. There are a wide variety of diets to select from. This will have negligible impact on your system. I hope the exact ratios I have provided in my illustration help. Take care of your health.