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10 Surprising Facts About Your Gallbladder

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  The gallbladder may be a small, pear-shaped organ tucked under your liver, but it can have a big impact on your digestive health. Many people don’t give their gallbladder much thought – until it starts causing trouble (hello, gallstones!). Whether you’re curious about what this organ does or want to avoid gallbladder problems, here are 10 surprising facts about the gallbladder you need to know. 1. The Gallbladder Is Your Fat-Digesting Sidekick Your gallbladder’s main job is to store and concentrate bile , a digestive fluid made by the liver. Think of bile as a soapy liquid that helps break down fats from the foods you eat. Whenever you enjoy a cheeseburger or a bowl of ice cream, your gallbladder jumps into action: it squeezes bile into your small intestine to emulsify (blend) fats so they can be absorbed. In a sense, the gallbladder is a little reservoir that makes fat digestion more efficient. Without it, you can still digest fats, but bile drips continuously from the live...