Last month I had my gall bladder removed. Ever since my surgery I have been craving raw tomato. The funny thing is that before my operation I never cared for raw tomato. What nutrient(s) am I lacking so badly that my tastes have completely changed?
The main flavour components in a tomato are salt, MSG, and acid. Since the gall bladder’s main function is to help digest fats, and tomatoes have virtually none, I doubt there’s any actual connection. Could it be an effect of the anesthetic, pain killers, or suchlike?
Uh, perhaps . . . well, tomatoes.
It could happen.
Tris
Well, that’s interesting. As said above, tomatoes contain lycopene, and Vitamin C. I am not a Doctor, but the main issues that I know with gall bladder removal are with fat digestion, and some diarrhea issues.
Do you eat a lot of vegetables in general, or are tomatoes the one you have some familiarity with? I know you’ve said you never cared for them much before, but, your body might being wanting non-fatty foods, and if tomatoes are one of the few vegs you’re familiar with, that might be the reason. Your previous diet might give some hints.
I’m reaching, here, but fascinated. Hopefully a proper Doc or nutritionist will shed some light on it.
Again, reaching, but, at some point did you have raw tomatoes that gave you a good comfort feeling, as a kid?
I have had and continue to have many different vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, spinach. squash, corn etc. I don’t thing the craving is because of the missing gall bladder but more due to the healing process.
I thought it had been pretty conclusively proved that food cravings had precisely zip to do with your body craving certain nutrients. But I could be wrong.
Of course, this calls for the traditional SDMB response:
Cite?
Hey same to you buddy. 
-FrL-
Electrolytes.
Given as I don’t know whether you are male or female… could you be pregnant? I know several people who, for some unexplained reason, craved tomatoes during their pregnancies. I don’t think there’s any real explanation as to why, either, but it’s happened to enough acquaintances that “crave tomatoes”= pregnant in my mind!
No, you are not.
I am a male so pregnancy is right out. But I did quit smoking when I had the surgery and with the exception of a few weak moments I have been smoke free.