Vital Tips If You Don’t Have A Gallbladder
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Did you know that having your gallbladder removed can increase the risk of certain digestive problems and liver conditions? For some people, getting a dysfunctional gallbladder removed offers relief from pain and discomfort. Others are not so lucky. Not having a gallbladder can introduce new health problems. Fortunately there are natural remedies that can help.
Removal of the gallbladder is one of the most common surgeries in the world. Gallstones occur in 10 to 15 percent of the population. The condition does tend to run in families. Women are more likely to experience gallbladder problems than men and this is partly due to the effects of the female hormone estrogen.
It is possible to survive well without a gallbladder, but you are more prone to developing a fatty liver, experiencing indigestion and developing deficiencies of essential fatty acids and fat soluble nutrients.
Without a gallbladder, your liver continues to manufacture bile, but there is no longer a place to store it or concentrate it. Therefore bile continually slowly trickles into the intestines. If you eat a fatty meal, you will not be able to secrete a large enough amount of bile into your intestines, therefore the fat will be poorly digested.
Many people experience diarrhea, bloating, nausea or indigestion. Not digesting fat well means you will not be able to digest essential fatty acids, including omega 3 and omega 6 fats. It also means you’ll have a hard time absorbing fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E, A and K.
If you take any of the above mentioned nutrients in supplement form, without sufficient bile you will not absorb them well. Some common symptoms of poor fat digestion are dry, brittle hair; dry skin and premature aging of the skin; weak nails and painful joints.
Most people developed a gallbladder problem in the first place because they had an unhealthy liver and digestive problems. If your liver is not healthy, it will make poor quality bile. The bile will be prone to forming sludge and stones. Just removing the gallbladder doesn’t solve that problem, and in fact sludge and stones can form within the liver, compromising its function. This can raise the risk of liver cysts.
Dairy products and grains aggravate the digestive tract and liver of most people who have lost their gallbladder. Dairy products (milk, cheese, ice-cream, yoghurt) are very difficult for some people to digest and they thicken the bile. Food intolerance is a common cause of gallbladder problems, and there is research that links gluten intolerance with gallstones. Grains are high in carbohydrate and can raise the risk of developing a fatty liver. There is a great deal of helpful information in our book Save your Gallbladder, and what to do if you’ve already lost it.
Take a good quality liver tonic such as Livatone. The herbs St Mary’s thistle, dandelion root and globe artichoke all increase bile production and bile flow. Taurine is an amino acid necessary for bile production. This should help to make you feel more comfortable after a meal, and should reduce the risk of stones forming inside your liver.
You can take bile in supplement form. This is the most important recommendation for people who have lost their gallbladder. A lack of bile can produce symptoms such as bloating and indigestion after meals, light colored stools, diarrhea, fatigue after meals and nutrient deficiencies. Taking a good quality ox bile supplement with each meal is wonderful for addressing these symptoms in most individuals.
Insufficient production of digestive enzymes is a common cause of developing a gallbladder problem in the first place. If your stomach and intestines are not in optimal health, they will not send signals to your gallbladder, telling it to contract properly. Irritable bowel syndrome, dysbiosis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and Candida overgrowth are common in people with a gallbladder problem. If you have had your gallbladder removed, you may continue to suffer symptoms due to those conditions. These digestive problems also cause insufficient digestive enzyme production. Taking digestive enzymes in supplement form helps to restore good digestive health and reduces symptoms of indigestion.
Eat adequate natural fats and avoid fats that are made in factories . Your doctor may have recommended you follow a low fat diet after having your gallbladder removed. This is not necessary and in fact it is harmful. Your body desperately needs good fats and I recommend you include moderate quantities of extra virgin olive oil, avocados, coconut milk and oil, nuts and seeds and the fat from pastured animals. Avoid margarine and soybean oil.
People with compromised liver or digestive function are often vitamin D deficient. Exposure of your skin to the sun’s UVB rays enables your body to manufacture vitamin D. However, this process also occurs in your liver and kidneys. People with a sluggish liver often do not manufacture vitamin D adequately. Therefore it’s a good idea to get a blood test and take a supplement. 5000 IU of vitamin D3 is a safe and effective dose for most people, but it’s best to be guided by your own doctor.
The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
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