The gallbladder is a small organ which is under
the liver. It serves as a collection reservoir for bile. The
gallbladder concentrates the bile secreted by the liver. The bile is
used by your body to digest fats. The bile
contains: bile salts, cholesterol, lecithin, and some other
substances.
Sometimes the cholesterol crystallizes
or hardens combining with the bile in the gallbladder to form gallstones. Often the person does not even
know they have gallstones and may have no symptoms. If a stone blocks
a bile passage, then nausea,
vomiting, and pain in the person's upper right abdomen may occur. It is
also good prevention to do a digestive and colon cleansing
to clean out toxins and heavy metals from your system.
Nutrient /
Supplement |
Importance
( 1 - 10 ) |
Helpful notes |
Omega
fatty acids |
10 |
they are important building blocks of every
cell and are needed for prevention of gallstones or repairing
the damage done by stones. |
Carnitine |
10 |
aids in digestion and processing
of fats and helps to lower cholesterol |
Multi-vitamin
Mineral supplement |
9 |
that contains vitamin A, vitamin B
complex, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E all of these can can be helpful with gallstones as well as
general health and well being. ( See details on each vitamin below) |
vitamin A |
10 |
needed for the repair of body
tissues |
Watercress |
10 |
herb very good for
gallstones as well as kidney, liver, and bladder health. |
Chicory |
9 |
herb
that works well with dandelion with purifying properties |
Dandelion |
9 |
herb that has been
used for centuries to help gallbladder and liver |
B
vitamin complex |
9 |
needed for proper
digestion and they help
with cholesterol metabolism
and thus liver and gallbladder function. The B vitamin family
also aids with depression, stress,
and nervous system disorders. |
Lecithin |
9 |
aids in digestion and transport of
fats |
Magnesium |
9 |
helps to relax the bile duct,
reduce stress, and good for the nervous system |
vitamin C |
9 |
a deficiency in this
vitamin can lead to
gallstones |
vitamin D |
9 |
gall bladder problems may cause
problems with vitamin D absorption in your body so you may
need supplementation. |
vitamin E |
9 |
prevents fats from becoming rancid
or bad |
Alfalfa |
8 |
herb that cleanses the
liver and aids the gallbladder |
Grape
seed extract |
8 |
help to reduce
inflammation |
The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located beneath
the liver on the right side of the abdomen. It stores bile, a
yellow-brown fluid produced by the liver, and secretes bile
into the small intestine to help digest fats. The gallbladder
is connected to the liver and the small intestine by a series
of tubes known as the bile ducts. In roughly 10 percent of the
North American population, or 30 million people, these tubes
are blocked by hard, crystalline structures called gallstones.
People are more likely to develop gallstones as they age, and
women are more prone to them than men. Over 80% of all
gallstones are made of cholesterol. People with
high
cholesterol problems may have increased risk of
gallstones. The stones form when the bile contains too much
cholesterol and not enough bile salts. Cholesterol stones also
may form if the gallbladder fails to empty frequently enough,
or if the liver fails to secrete certain proteins into the
bile. Other factors play a role in gallstones.
Obesity
is a big risk, mainly because of excess cholesterol and
because the pressure that fat tissue places on the gallbladder
effects emptying. Diabetes and
hypothyroidism
will also put a person at higher risk of gallstones. Increased
levels of estrogen also increase chances of stones. Pregnancy
increases estrogen levels, as do hormone replacement therapy
and hormonal contraceptives.
Gallstone attacks frequently come after a large, fatty meal
that follows a period of fasting. The pain associated with
gallstones, steady and severe, is located in the upper
abdomen. The pain may last from 1 to 4 hours and then be
followed by a residual mild ache or soreness that may persist
for a day or so. Nausea, vomiting, and chills frequently
accompany gallstone attacks, and blood tests show elevated
amounts of the liver pigment bilirubin, which may be reflected
in dark urine and jaundice. Most people, though, have
"silent stones," or stones causing no symptoms.
Fever or chills with a gallstone attack indicates an
underlying problem that requires medical attention. Less than
2% of all people who have gallstones, however, require surgery
in any given year. People with silent stones detected during
routine physicals are normally given cholesterol lowering
medications. Herbs listed above are also used in gallstone
treatment relieve the symptoms of cholecystitis, or
gallbladder irritation, which include muscle spasms, pain, and
general tension.
Other Changes To Make
-
drink 6-8 glasses of steam distilled or
filtered water a day
-
eat 50% raw fruits and vegetables (organic is best)
-
nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good
-
juice is good (make your
own with a juice machine)
-
do not worry as much about calories as eating the right foods
-
carrot and celery sticks are good to use as a snack
-
a colon cleansing can be very helpful - (do several times each year)
-
do not drink coffee, alcohol, soda pop, other junk food drinks
-
do not eat processed foods white sugar, white flour, etc...
-
use stress relief like going for walks in the park
(or the 10/90 rule - see
Stress)
-
brown rice is good to eat
-
avoid red meat and animal fats
-
reduce dairy products cheese, milk, and others
-
fast a few days a month
-
get at least 8 hours of sleep
-
exercise light to moderate amounts
-
avoid artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and NutraSweet
-
do not smoke and avoid second hand smoke
-
do not skip meals - just eat better and not as much at each meal
-
do not chew gum - it can cause you to feel hungry
-
do not watch too much TV try reading a book or something else
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