Most people don't think about their gallbladders very often,
that is, until they face the painful sensation of gallstones.
But a new study holds that a glass or two of wine each day may
help prevent gallstone formation. The findings were presented in
May at the Digestive Disease Week 2009 conference in Chicago, by
Dr. Andrew Hart of the University of East Anglia's school of
medicine (located in Norwich, U.K.). The study was conducted
with cooperation from the gastroenterology division at the
university's hospital as well as the epidemiological department
of Cambridge University and the U.K.'s National Institutes of
Health. Hart and his colleagues found that drinking up to two
units of alcohol per day reduces the risk of developing
gallstones by one-third when compared to nondrinkers. The
gallbladder is a small organ below the liver in the right upper
abdomen that stores bile, a substance that helps the body digest
fats. Gallstones form when stored bile hardens and can be
incredibly painful. If the problem is