How to Support Your Gall Bladder

What is the Gallbladder?

It is a sac that collects and concentrates bile for various functions in our GI tract. It helps emulsify and digest our fats and helps us absorb fat soluble vitamins. It also has antimicrobial properties and plays various roles in the body. Problems in the gall bladder, almost always are a result of upstream issues in the liver where we make bile.

Tell Me More About Bile

Bile is produced in the liver and it is a thick substance made up of water, bile salts, cholesterol + bilirubin.

It is the pathway the liver uses to transfer toxins into the GI tract for disposal into the stool. The free and easy flow of bile is essential for over all function and reduction of inflammation of the human body.

What Can Go Wrong?

Adequate fat digestion relies on loads of factors such as healthy bile production from the liver. The combination of a healthy functioning gallbladder, bile flow, pancreatic function, and hormone balance all contribute to a healthy functioning liver, gallbladder and system overall.

An over concentration of cholesterol in bile can cause a big mess. This makes our bile sluggish and makes it difficult to flow smoothly into the bile ducts because it is too thick. When theres too much cholesterol some of it will turn into crystals or stones and this can cause an achy or spasming gall bladder. Its our bodies way of letting us know something is wrong.

How Do I Know it's My Gallbladder?

It usually presents as upper right quadrant pain, especially after eating and can sometimes be referred to your mid back or even right shoulder blade due to irritation of your phrenic nerve. When the gallbladder contracts and goes to push out the bile, lots of times it is due to a stone causing pain.

What Alternative Methods Can Help?

D-Limmone has been clinically shown to help support a healthy gall bladder.

When taken orally, there is evidence of a marked distribution of d-limonene to fatty tissue that accumulates over time.

This is not medical advice (ALWAYS check with your primary provider first). This is simply knowledge to take with you to your next appointment.

Common Nutrient Deficiencies that Impact Gallbladder Dysfunction

Taurine Deficiency

When there is a deficiency of taurine there is less of the bile acid and so the salts are able to form stones.

Choline Deficiency

- Common Especially after Pregnancy

Other Helpful Tips

- Eat foods that promote bile formation such as: raw shredded beets, organic apples and ginger.

- Eat bitter foods such as dandelion greens and other dark leafy greens. Bitters stimulate the flow of bile in the gall bladder, helping us digest fats.

- Vitamin C rich foods such as papaya, red bell peppers,

strawberries, oranges and lemons.

- Adequate Hydration: Drink at least 8 glasses of mineralized water a day. Trace minerals is a great source to add to water.

Eat Folate rich roods: Beef liver, spinach, and asparagus.

• Cobalamin rich foods: beef, clams, trout, salmon, and oysters

• Support your pancreas by balancing your blood sugar with nutrition (see my previous post).

• Increase intake of antioxidants: Beets, raw cacao, acai berry, blueberries, prunes, pomegranates, kale brussel sprouts

Things to Keep in Mind:

Simply removing the gallbladder may be life saving a times, however, it does not address the root cause issue. It can actually worsen digestive issues later on in life and inhibit your ability to absorb nutrients. If you have had your gallbladder recommend, it may be beneficial to look into bile salts.

A common root cause issue to address is hepatobiliary congestion. From a Functional stand point, I highly removed, working one on one with a provider who can help you address root causes such as: gut dysbiosis, food sensitivities, constipation, reabsorbption of toxins, hypothyroidism, dysfunction of adrenal glands, immune system hyper vigilance and suppression, insulin resistance, obesity, estrogen dominance, PCOS and more.

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