A person suffering from obstruction of the bile duct is advised not to eat fats and oil because

Step 1: Analyze the question The bile duct carries bile from the liver and gall bladder to the duodenum. If it is blocked, bile cannot reach the small intestine. The question asks why such a person should avoid fats and oils.

Step 2: Explain the concept Bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. It contains bile salts, which emulsify fats. Emulsification means breaking large fat globules into tiny droplets. This increases the surface area so the enzyme lipase can digest the fats into fatty acids and glycerol more efficiently.

Bile does not contain digestive enzymes, so it does not digest fats itself.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Bile digests fats and oil: Wrong. Bile has no enzymes. Lipase does the digesting.
• B. Fats and oil can only be absorbed when bile is absent: Wrong. Absorption of fats actually needs bile.
• C. Bile emulsifies fat and oil: Correct. Without bile, fats are not emulsified, so they are poorly digested and absorbed. This can cause discomfort and fatty stools.
• D. Bile adds water to digesting food: Wrong. Bile's role is not to add water. It also neutralizes acidic chyme and provides a suitable alkaline medium for enzymes.

Step 4: Answer

Tip: Remember "Bile = Emulsifier, not Enzyme." Bile breaks up fat into droplets, and lipase digests it. In WASSCE and JAMB, whenever you see bile, think of emulsification, an alkaline medium, and no enzymes.