Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (101 page)

The gallbladder, a pear-shaped organ that lies just below the liver, stores and concentrates bile that is manufactured in the liver. When we eat a meal that contains fat, the liver and gallbladder are stimulated to release bile. Each day, the liver secretes about a quart of bile, which is absorbed into the body from the ileum and colon and returned to the liver to be used again. Between meals, the gallbladder concentrates bile. Gallbladder problems usually indicate poor liver function. Bile emulsifies fats, cholesterol, and fat-soluble vitamins by breaking them into tiny globules. These create a greater surface area for the fat-splitting enzymes (lipase) to act on for digestion. As a result, people who have poor gallbladder function will likely be deficient in fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).

Just the other day a young woman came into my office who had had her gallbladder removed. She was concerned that she wouldn’t ever be able to digest fats again. She will. What happens is instead of the bile concentrating in the gallbladder, bile is secreted into the common bile duct where it collects. When we eat a fatty meal, bile is released from the liver and through the common bile duct where it mixes with pancreatic juices and moves through the sphincter of Odii into the small intestinal lumen.

The most common digestive problem associated with the gallbladder is gallstones. One in five Americans over the age of 65 has gallstones, and most people who have gallstones are never bothered by them. Medical treatment for gallstones consists of an injection of a drug that dissolves the gallstones, oral medication to dissolve stones, lithotripsy that breaks stones with sound waves, or surgical removal of
the gallbladder. Half a million cholecystectomies, that is, gallbladder removal surgeries, are performed each year. Most help to solve the problem. Ten to 15 percent of people complain of persistent symptoms. These typically resolve within six months, although in rare cases the symptoms persist.

Women are two to four times more likely to be affected by gallstones than men. An inflammation of the gallbladder can lead to pain and discomfort. Symptoms can take the form of abdominal discomfort, vomiting, bloating, nausea, belching, or food intolerances. When you have more than one stone, you may experience a sharp pain or a spasm under the ribs on the right side. Occasionally, the pain will be felt under your right shoulder blade. These pains are typically strongest after eating a high-fat meal. If you experience pains like these, see your doctor or, if they are severe, go to the emergency room.

Diet plays an important role in prevention of gallbladder disease. Low-fat, low-meat, and vegetarian diets are recommended, as is a low-sugar, high-fiber intake. In fact, a recent study of more than 1,100 people found that none of the 48 vegetarians in the group had any gallstones at all. There was an increase in gallstones in people who were heavy coffee drinkers. Dennis Burkitt, a British physician who lived and worked in Africa for 20 years, found that he performed only two surgeries for gallbladder removal among Africans eating an indigenous diet.

If you are overweight, losing weight will reduce your risk of developing gallstones. Be careful, because several studies have shown that fasting and extremely low-fat, low-calorie diets increase your risk of developing gallstones. Fasting for more than 14 hours raises the risk of problems due to gallstones. So easy does it while dieting. And always eat breakfast.

Exercise is also important for the prevention of gallstones. In a 1998 study, men who watched fewer than six hours of television per week had a gallstone rate lower than that of men who watched more than 40 hours. The researchers concluded that 34 percent of the cases of symptomatic gallstone disease in men could be prevented by increasing exercise to 30 minutes of endurance-type training five times per week.

Physicians familiar with natural therapies have favorable results treating gallstones without use of drugs or surgery by having their patients detoxify the liver and strengthen liver function. Metabolic cleansing or other detoxification programs are a critical first step in treatment. Food sensitivities also play an important role in the development of gallstones—most patients with gallbladder disease have them and they must be identified.

Liver function profile

Home test for bowel transit time

Test for HCl adequacy

Food sensitivity testing

Acid-alkaline home testing

Make dietary changes.
Low-fat diets help prevent gallstones and also reduce pain and inflammation associated with gallstones. Saturated fats found in dairy products, meats, coconut oil, palm oil, hydrogenated oils, and vegetable shortening stimulate concentration of bile. While a low-fat diet is optimal, essential fatty acids are vital to gallbladder function and overall health. Make sure you get 1 to 2 tablespoons of uncooked expeller-pressed oils or extra-virgin olive oil each day—the easiest way is in homemade salad dressing. Also, vegetarian diets have been found to be helpful in reducing the incidence of gallbladder disease.

Several studies have indicated that people who consume a lot of sweets are more likely to develop gallstones.

Decrease coffee intake and increase water consumption. Coffee may trigger gallbladder attacks in susceptible people. Use of either regular or decaffeinated coffee raises levels of cholecystokinin, a hormone that stimulates the release of bile from the gallbladder and digestive enzymes from the pancreas, and causes gallbladder contractions. Stop drinking coffee and see what effect this produces. Some people get horrible headaches or flu-like symptoms when they withdraw from caffeine. If you do, wean yourself gradually. And don’t forget to drink six to eight glasses of water every day.

Reduce bowel transit time.
People with gallstones have significantly slower transit times than healthy people. Eat more high-fiber foods and drink more fluids. Get more exercise. Make sure that your magnesium status is good.

Investigate food sensitivities.
In 1968, James Breneman, a pioneer in the area of food allergies, reported that food sensitivities play a role in gallbladder disease. He put 69 patients on an elimination diet consisting of beef, rye, soy, rice, cherry, peach, apricot, beet, and spinach. After three to five days, all people were free of symptoms. With a slow reintroduction of foods they were sensitive to, symptoms returned. The most common food offenders were pork (64 percent), onions (52 percent), and eggs (3 percent). Interestingly, beef and soy are often trigger foods for food sensitivity reactions.