In a first study, a population of 1,045 women from 20 to 61 years old has been studies. 24 (2.3%) were known to have
gallstones. After excluding these 24 cases, 214 were drawn from the same population and accepted an oral cholecystography. 11 cases of stones (5.1%) were discovered. The diet of these 11 patients and of the 202 women without
gallstones was not significantly different. In a second study, the diet of 50 patients with known
gallstones and the diet of 50 matched controls have been compared. No significant difference between the two groups can be demonstrated for calories,
protein, fat or
carbohydrates intake. These results are compared to previous results which showed overconsumption of food in
gallstone patients. The method for all studies being similiar, it seems that the dietetic factors are now less important in
cholesterol stones pathogenesis than during the period which followed the second world war
starvation in southeast France. The assumption that
undernutrition diminishes the chance for a women to develop
gallstones is proposed.