The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ that sits on theright side of our bodies just beneath the liver. its primaryfunction is to store and secrete bile. Bile is a yellow-brownfluid produced by the liver, which helps us digest fats. Ourliver produces up to three cups of bile a day. our gallbladdercan store up to a cup of bile as it awaits a fatty meal.
When we eat, our gallbladder contracts and pushes bile into thesmall intestines where it helps with the digestion of fats. Bileis made up of water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts, proteins andbilirubin. Under certain conditions, substances in the bile,especially the cholesterol or bile pigment (bilirubin) canharden into stones ‘ gallstones. Gallstones can be as small as agrain of sand or as large as a golf ball. We can develop onelarge stone or a multitude of smaller ones.
Many people with gallstones have no symptoms at all. others gothrough life relatively symptom free, experiencing minorsymptoms such as abdominal bloating, intolerance to fatty foods,belching, intestinal gas and indigestion. for others, howeverthey may suffer what is called a gallstone ‘attack’. Gallstoneattacks often follow a fatty meal. Symptoms of an attack includesteady, sever pain in the upper abdomen that can last from 30minutes to several hours. Sufferers may also experience pain inthe back between the shoulder blades or under the rightshoulder. A gallstone attack is often accompanied by nausea orvomiting. If symptoms such as sweating, chills, a fever or ayellowish color to the skin or whites of the eyes occur, it isimportant to seek medical assistance.
There are a number of factors that increase your risk of havinggallstones. those at a higher risk include women, especiallywomen who are pregnant, on hormone therapy or taking birthcontrol pills, people over 60 years of age, Native and MexicanAmericans, overweight individuals and individuals who fast or goon crash diets and lose a lot of weight quickly.
It is important to recognize that if the gallbladder is loadedwith stones, there is very little room to store bile and fatdigestion may become impaired. in turn, the unused bile can backup into the liver causing liver congestion. If this is the case,it is important to evaluate your liver’s health prior tocleansing on your gallbladder.
Recommendations for Wellness
The traditional treatment for gallstones is to have yourgallbladder removed. There are, however, a number of things youcan do to reduce your risk of producing gallstones orexperiencing a gallstone attack.
Reduce your consumption of saturated fats typically found in redmeat and pork, while increasing the amount of fresh fruits andvegetables you consume.
Start a diet and exercise program, but avoid crash dieting whichcan increase your risk of gallstones. both diet and exercise canhelp you reduce your risk of producing gallstones.
If you are taking birth control pills or are on hormonereplacement therapy, speak with your doctor regarding your riskof forming stones or have them check your gallbladder for thepresence of gallstones regularly.
Studies indicate that coffee increase the flow of bile and mayhelp to decrease the risk of gallstones. If you decide to add alittle coffee to your health plan for this reason, make sure youonly consume organically grown coffee beans.
Supplement with vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed by the body toconvert cholesterol to bile acids in the body.
Lecithin has been shown to help break down and transport fatmolecules and may help dissolve gallstones. Studies indicatethat it is helpful in protecting us from gallstone formation.
Safflowers can be used to thin body fluids as well as aid in thedigestion of oils.
Nature’s Sunshine Gall Bladder Formula can be used to helpstimulate circulation, improve liver function & aid in theproduction of digestive fluids.
Do a gallbladder flush. during a gallbladder flush, 1-2 cups ofolive oil are consumed to simulate the gallbladder intoreleasing bile. this increased demand on the gallbladder torelease bile works to push the stones out.
If you think your liver is congested, or if you have been havingminor symptoms of gallstones for a long period of time, it isimportant to support and cleanse your liver for a period of timebefore doing a gallbladder flush. Try taking herbs such as milkthistle, dandelion or a liver cleanse formula.
About the author:Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. is a Naturopathic Physician but it is herunique gift as a medical intuitive and clairvoyant thatilluminates and enlivens her work. Author of the newly releasedbook ‘Avoiding the Cosmic 2×4′, Dr. Louise can be reached atsoulhealer.com or by call 972-475-3393.
Author: Dr. Rita Louise