How and why to keep your gallbladder

I recently helped a long time friend who was having a gallbladder surgery.

I learned a few things that might keep you out of the hospital.

The gall bladder stores bile made periodically by the liver and this allows you to use the bile to digest fatty foods at any time.

Gall stones are most commonly made of cholesterol when there is too much bilirubin in the bile.  You are more likely to have them if you are an older overweight women eating a diet high in fat and cholesterol and low in fiber.

If you take drugs to LOWER your cholesterol blood levels, you actually increase the amount of cholesterol secreted into bile, increasing the risk of gallstones.

So, if you want to avoid the pain and expense of surgery, cut out all that sugar, eat the right kinds of fats and fiber and exercise every day.

An apple a day really does!

Apple pectin dissolves gallstones.  In hamsters, apple pectin reduced gall stone formation by 76% and caused regression of stones by 52%. See Effect of Pectin and Cellulose on Formation and Regression of Gallstones in Hamsters, 1983 by D. Kritchevsky (pdf).

Psyllium?

In another study, Soluble dietary fiber protects against cholesterol gallstone formation, Wayne H. Schwesinger MD,  1999 that used psyllium husk powder as the fiber, there were positive results. Psyllium may be dangerous for some people who are allergic and may cause low blood sugar levels, however.

Vegetable fats and protein

Also, in the paper Dietary predictors of symptom-associated gallstones in middle-aged women a study of over 88,000 women found "inverse associations were observed between intakes of vegetable fat and vegetable protein and the risk of reportedly symptomatic gallastones". In other words, eat more avocados, nuts and soy beans.

Nuts!

According to a 2004 study titled Frequent nut consumption and decreased risk of cholecystectomy in women, "Nuts are rich in several compounds that may protect against gallstone disease" and "In women, frequent nut consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cholecystectomy."

There is an interesting account of someone who fasted for three days on apple juice and then oils to get the stones to float up and exit without surgery. The nurse we spoke to said this won't work if the stones are large, but didn't deny that this could work for smaller ones.

HOW TO REMOVE GALLSTONES NATURALLY

1. For the first five days, drink at least four glasses of apple juice every day. Freshly squeezed or packaged apple juice are both okay. Or eat four or five apples, whichever you prefer. Apple juice softens the gallstones. During the five days, eat normally.
   
   


2. On the sixth day, take no dinner.
   
   


3. At 6 pm, take a teaspoon of Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) with a glass of warm water.
   
   


4. At 8 pm, repeat the same. Epsom salt or magnesium sulphate opens the gallbladder ducts.
   
   


5. At 10 pm, take half cup olive oil (or sesame oil) with half cup fresh lemon juice. Mix it well and drink it. The oil lubricates the stones to ease their passage. See above about possible instant diarrhea during this final step to remove gallstones naturally.
   
   


6. After this, sleep or at least lie down and rest. Do not engage in physical activity.

The next morning, you will find green stones in your stools. "Usually they float", Dr Lai Chiu Nan notes. "You might want to count them. I have had people who passes 40, 50 or up to 100 stones. Very many".

Even if you don't have any symptoms of gallstones, you still might have some. It's always good to give your gall bladder clean up now and then. ...

Yes, some doctors have warned of the "dangers" of trying to cleanse gall stone naturally, without surgery. They say that, if the gallstones are too big, they might end up being stuck in the gall bladder ducts and this could be dangerous. In theory, this might happen. In practice, I have not come across such cases (but perhaps there are). So if you are afraid, don't do it.

Does this work? Is it safe? I don't know. Might try it...but I'm pretty healthy. I probably don't need to. Before I try this, I'd want to read more about the possible side effects of all that magnesium sulfate.

Here is a video showing the surgical removal of a stone.

Because more stones form--and I think they form because people are unwilling to change their diet--doctors just take out the entire gall bladder. Problem solved. Except, surprise, you still have to change your diet and you will have new costs for the rest of your life. If you don't pay attention to this, you will have

Life without a gallbladder

Roughly 20 million Americans suffer from gallstones, and 750,000 of them have their gallbladders removed each year. There are 800,000 hospitalizations $2 billion spend annually on gallbladder disease.
... For most people the pain of a malfunctioning gallbladder eventually becomes unbearable. After one or two trips to the emergency room the suggestion of surgery is met with certain approval. Unfortunately this may or may not end the pain and discomfort. The probable after-effects of gallbladder surgery are never discussed with the patient which leaves the patient with the impression that all will be well after surgery. But it doesn't take long to realize that all is "not well" and the patient soon begins to feel very betrayed by their surgeon and doctor who did not prepare them for "life without a gallbladder."

... The gallbladder is like a pump. Without it, the liver can't secrete enough bile to properly digest a full meal. Many people experience symptoms such as diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion, constipation, increased allergies, liver congestion, itchy skin and autoimmune diseases. Some patients suffer from dumping syndrome, in which food is "dumped" too quickly into the intestines from the stomach.

• Diet is extremely important. Eat low-fat, high fiber, organic and healthy. Eliminate refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated oils.


• Liver Flush - Every four months. People without gallbladders may develop stones in the liver which will lead to a sluggish liver.


• Parasite Cleanse - Two times a year. I recommend a six-week course of Para-Buster then maintenance for 3 weeks.


• Digestive Enzymes - Take 3-5 capsules at least 15 minutes before each meal. You will need to take enzymes for the rest of your life in order to digest the good fats (Omega 3) which are essential for good health.


• Reduce chemical overload on the liver (pre-packaged food, personal care products, lawn products, perfumes, cosmetics, etc.)


• Drink only filtered water - Try to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day.


• Use a Probiotic - I recommend Latero-Flora or Primal Defense.


• Reduce animal intake (meat and dairy) - When consuming animal products make sure they are free-range, organic and hormone-free.


• Eliminate white sugar and white flour.


• Consume a green drink or pills equal to one-two tablespoons daily. Quantum Greens is a good choice.


• Activated Charcoal - Some people have found that this helps with symptoms as it helps to sequester bile acid.


• Chinese Bitters (Chinese Gentian with Bupleurum) in the morning and Coptis with Bupleurum at night to stimulate bile flow.


• Exercise daily for 30 minutes. Walking is highly suggested.

... So your gallbladder is gone...that's the past. It's time to move on and educate yourself in getting healthy and feeling better. Following the above suggestions will ensure that your digestive system operates to its fullest and will help to alleviate many of the side-effect from gallbladder removal. - shanti