|
Visit
our Health Index for More Subjects, Conditions and
Answers
Gall Bladder
Just tell me what to take
The gallbladder is a small four inch long, pear-shaped sack located between the liver lobes directly under the liver. (see
photo) A small Y-shaped duct, called the common bile duct, carries bile from both the gallbladder
and the liver to the small intestines. The gallbladder's job is to
store and to concentrate bile which the liver produces.

When fats are taken into the digestive system, a hormone is secreted which
cause the gallbladder to contract, thus releasing the bile. The bile's job is to work on digested fats,
carotene (which converts to fat in the body), and fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Lecithin in the
bile dissolves this fat
into droplets so small that the enzymes can surround them and process them so they can pass
through the intestinal wall into the blood which takes it to the cells where you body can use it.
Bile is a green blend which contains water, lecithin, acids, cholesterol, bile salts,
and minerals. Bile is vital to health.
Inadequate Bile Flow
Trouble starts when the diet is too high in refined sugar and starches
and fats and too low in protein. When too little bile is formed by the liver and
when the gall bladder is too "lazy" (due to nutritional
deficiencies) to empty its content, the fat can not be readily absorbed.
When not absorbed, the fat then unites with calcium and iron from food
(stopping these minerals from entering the blood where they can do some
good), and forms a hard soap, then hard packed fecal matter and causes
constipation.
This persistent stealing of essential iron and calcium can bring on
iron-deficiency anemia, osteoporosis (honeycombed bones) or osteomalacia
(week and caving-in bones). Without enough bile, fats, which
quickly melt at
body temperature, cover the carbohydrates and proteins that is also being
digested, making it hard to continue the digestion process.
Then bacteria attack this
partially digested mess, bringing on gas and discomfort, contributing to an smelly bowel movement and an
equally foul breath. Much of the undigested food is usually lost
in the stools. Poor elimination associated with gall bladder problems invariably
indicates a major loss of vital minerals.
Because the lack of
bile acids prevents the absorption of vitamin A, D, E, &
K, and whatever fat has been broken down, deficiencies are produced. People with insufficient bile
flow are usually so deficient in vitamin A that they have difficulty in
driving a car at night, sewing, or doing other close work.
Although a low fat diet is recommended to decrease these digestive
problems (it keeps the gall bladder quiet until healing has occurred), when the gall bladder has to be removed
obviously a low fat diet cannot rectify this situation or increase the absorption of
needed vitamins. There is a peril of a low-fat or no-fat diet. (See Low Fat Foods)
Gall bladder sludge: Biliary sludge can be looked
upon as a condition of microscopic gallstones, although
it is not clear at what size the particles in biliary sludge
should be considered gallstones. More important than the
differentiation by size is whether or not there are symptoms.
RECOMMENDED:
To improve gall
bladder functioning and reduce inflammation - Liver Dr This remedy is for maintaining
the important liver functions of
detoxification and protection via healthy immune
systems. Liver Dr. is a 100% herbal remedy
containing herbs known for their ability to improve
the functioning of the liver and
protect it from damaging toxins and disease, thereby
improving overall systemic health. Apart from
their beneficial effect on the liver, the herbs chosen
for Liver Dr. also have other
important therapeutic benefits, which further
contribute to a healthy body and better quality of
life.
Click here to improve functioning of the liver and promote health
For everyday support to get the nutrition you need to
handle the onslaught of toxins in foods, try whole
food supplements
Gall stones:
What is a gallstone?
Gallstones form when cholesterol and bile pigments become so
concentrated that they form lumps inside the gallbladder. Eighty to eighty-five percent of all
gallstones are coated
with layer upon layer of waxy-looking cholesterol, although many stones
are coated with both cholesterol and bile pigments. A few are made exclusively of
yellowish green bilirubin. a substance that is part of the hemoglobin in
your blood.
Women are three times more
likely then men to develop gallstones and stones seem to run in
families. Being overweight and having high cholesterol or
insulin levels are also risk factors.
What causes gallstones?
The incidence of gallstones in the American population is high and
increases with age. There is most definitely a familial
predisposition to gallstones, but it is difficult to say whether there is
truly a genetic factor since most family members usually have similar
dietary habits. Diabetics have a higher incidence of stone formation
and women are more commonly affected then men and the incidence increases
with pregnancy.
As we said above, normally, the gallbladder is a storage
compartment for the bile that you body needs to digest fat. You
eat fat, the stomach sends it through to the small intestine, and your
gallbladder squirts some bile onto your food to break up the
fat. Your body then finishes its digestive process, and
everything heads for the exit. But occasionally something breaks
down during the eat-squirt-exit process and the gallbladder's sludge like contents crystallizes. This provides the opportunity to layer
thicker and thicker coats of cholesterol or bilirubin around a calcium
speck, thus forming a gallstone.
Exactly what causes this buildup of cholesterol or bilirubin on the
calcium is not totally clear and there are many theories. Supposedly,
it is from a high fat-high cholesterol diet. This popular belief
may be far less popular and far less believable when evidence of animal
experiments is presented.
1) There is some evidence that a deficiency
of vitamin E may bring this on. It was shown that animals given large
amounts of cholesterol or saturated or unsaturated fats developed no
stones as long as vitamin E is adequate.
Of course, today's fast food diet does not contain a lot of vitamin E.
Check any of the nutritional listings from a fast food restaurant and see
if there is any vitamin E listed.
It is believed that in the absence of Vitamin E, Vitamin A is quickly
destroyed and without Vitamin A millions of dying cells from mucous
membranes covering the walls of the gallbladder slough off into the bile,
and that stones form around a base of organic material. It appears
that these dead cells catch and hold cholesterol.
This theory about gallstone formation holds that dead cells from the
gallbladders inner membrane act as a nucleus around which stones
form. But why doesn't this happen when vitamin E is plentiful?
Vitamin A protects integrity of skin and internal membranes. However
without enough vitamin E to guard it, vitamin A is attacked by oxidation,
permitting membrane cells to die and drop into the bile
2) Stones are formed when a grain or two of calcium arrives in the
gallbladder and hangs around long enough to become coated with either
cholesterol or bilirubin. In other word, they form when there's too much
cholesterol in your bile. This excess forms tiny "seeds"
that start out the size of a grain of sand, but can grow to the size of a
marble, olive, or even an egg.
3) Naturally occurring female reproductive hormones are known to encourage
that process by delaying gallbladder emptying, such as during pregnancy
and dieting.
4) There is also research that shows that gallstones will also form when fat
intake is low. The reasoning is that the gallbladder will not contract
unless fat is taken in and if it does not do so, the bile salts will
crystalize and combines with bile in the gallbladder to form stones. The scientific name for the reason stones
form is "biliary stasis."
5) Another theory is that stones are less likely to form from cholesterol
when there is a high content of lecithin, which homogenizes cholesterol
- also fat - and holds it in this condition.
6) Other research says that it appears that the problem underlying
gallstones is related to a deficiency of hydrochloric acid or to a food
intolerance.
Gallbladder Symptoms
What are the symptoms of gallstones?:
The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide (Random House)
says that a million new cases of gallstones occur each year. If
blockage of bile flow persists for long, many complications can occur - obstructive jaundice, infection of the gall bladder and
inflammation when the trapped bile stagnates.
People with gall stones may experience only fatty food intolerance with
mild pain, acid reflux symptoms or diarrhea after a fatty meal. The
stone rarely cause symptoms if they remain in the gall
bladder.
Gallstones cause symptoms when it interferes with normal gallbladder
function by passing out of the gallbladder and getting stuck in one of the
bile duct.
Pain in the upper abdomen or near the
shoulder blades, along with vomiting and nausea, occurs when the stone
gets stuck in the gallbladder's duct. The pain usually lasts a few
hours, until the stone drops back into the gallbladder. If it stays
stuck in the duct, a stone can block the flow of bile and cause damage to
the liver, pancreas or gallbladder.
If a small stone passes out of the gallbladder it may lodge in the
common bile duct causing partial or complete obstruction. This
symptoms are jaundice with yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes to a
varying degree.
If the gallbladder becomes inflamed, it causes severe pain in the upper
right abdomen (under the ribcage). This may radiate around to the
back. This maybe be accompanied by fever, nausea, and
vomiting. This condition must be treated immediately. If left
untreated, inflammation of the gallbladder, called cholecystitis, can be
life threatening.
Other problems:
Occasionally, a person has the typical symptoms of gallstones, but may
not have gallstones. They will be found to have a dysfunctioning
gallbladder. Although no stones exist, the gallbladder does not
contract normally in response to the ingestion of fats. Symptoms are
produced when eating.
See your doctor when - you are experiencing sharp,
unexplained pain in your upper abdomen, between your shoulder blades or in
your right shoulder that lasts more than 20 minutes. Your skin
and the whites of your eyes turn yellow.
If a small stone passes out of the gallbladder it may lodge in the
common bile duct causing partial or complete obstruction. This
symptoms are jaundice with yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes to a
varying degree.
Preventions
Gallstones are easier to prevent then to treat.
1) Eat a high fiber diet. Eat more beans and fresh fruits and vegetables each day. You can add
oat bran to your cereal.
2) Drink six to eight glasses of water a
day. It flushes the liver and dilutes the bile secretions that
lead to gallstones.
3) Green juices. Spinach, parsley - these are rich in
chlorophyll, a pigment that has a natural cleansing effect. An eight
ounce blend of two ounces of green juice and two ounces of carrot juice,
diluted with an equal amount of water. You can also find fresh
vegetable juices with this combo at your health food store such as Whole
Foods.
Gall Bladder Attack remedies
For inflammation of the gall bladder, eat no solid food for a few
days. Consume only distilled or spring water. Then drink
juices such as pear, beet and apple for three days. Then add solid
foods, shredded raw beets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, fresh lemon
juice and freshly made uncooked applesauce made in a blender or food
processor. Then get a remedy, see below.
RECOMMENDED:
For gall stones: If you
experience sharp pains through your body, most
likely in your upper abdomen. There's an unexplainable
tenderness, and you may have pain between your shoulder
blades, or in your right shoulder. You may feel like
vomiting, or you may have nausea, those are symptoms of
gallstones
You can get a report and a remedy that
includes: .
-
Little-known
dietary recommendations so you can know exactly which
food you can and cannot eat.
-
The exact
amount and type of beverage you will need to drink
every day in order to stay free from gallstones.
-
Which, if any,
nutritional supplements you should be taking on a
daily basis that are proven to prevent gallstones from
coming back.
-
And much more --
and it's yours free when you buy the Gallstone
Removal Report!
A remedy for dissolving and passing these Gallstones
is found here. www.GetRidOfGallstones.com
We
take privacy and security seriously, read about
it here
|