Prevent Gallstones - Natural remedies
What Are Gallstones?
Gallstones are pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder. These stones develop because cholesterol and pigments in bile sometimes form hard particles.
The two main types of gallstones are:
Cholesterol stones: Usually yellow-green in color, approximately 80% of gallstones are cholesterol stones.
Pigment stones: These stones are smaller and darker and are made up of bilirubin.
Causes of Gallstones
Gallstones can form when there is an imbalance in the substances that make up bile. For instance, cholesterol stones may develop as a result of too much cholesterol in the bile. Another cause may be the inability of the gallbladder to empty properly.
Bilirubin - Bilirubin is a chemical produced when your liver destroys old red blood cells. Some conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver and certain blood disorders cause your liver to produce more bilirubin than it should. Stones form when your gallbladder cannot break down the excess bilirubin. These hard substances are also called pigmented stones.
Genetics-The tendency to develop gallstones and gallbladder disease often runs in families, suggesting that there may be a genetic link. A mutation in a gene that controls the movement of cholesterol from the liver to the bile duct may increase a person's risk of gallstones. Also, defects in certain proteins may increase the risk of gallbladder disease in some people.
Concentrated Bile - Your gallbladder needs to empty bile in order to be healthy and function properly. If it fails to empty its bile content, the bile becomes overly concentrated, which causes stones to form.
Body weight - The exact cause of gallstones is not known, but being overweight can increase the risk of developing gallbladder problems, says Harold Berenzweig, MD, a gastroenterologist and vice president of medical information management at Texas Health Harris Methodist in Fort Worth.
Ethnicity- Native Americans and Mexican-Americans are more likely to develop gallstones than other ethnic groups, probably as a result of dietary and genetic factors. Americans of European descent are also at higher risk.
Fluctuations in weight - Rapid weight loss as a result of fasting or crash diets, and weight cycling — losing and then regaining weight — can increase cholesterol production in the liver, increasing a person's risk of gallstones.
Prevent Gallstones
Control Your Weight - However, avoid rapid weight loss such as occurs with crash diets, as that can actually trigger gallstones. Weight loss should be slow and steady — focus on losing a pound or two per week until you reach your goal. In addition, weight cycling — frequent weight loss followed by weight gain — can also cause gallstones, so do your best to keep your weight off once you lose it. Ursodiol (Actigall), usually used to dissolve gallstones, may be prescribed for people who need to lose weight rapidly, in order to prevent the formation of gallstones. Similarly, orlistat (Xenical), which is used to treat obesity, may help prevent gallstones during weight loss by reducing bile acids, which can contribute to gallstone formation.
Avoid Certain Medications - Cholesterol-lowering drugs. Some drugs used to lower blood cholesterol, such as gemfibrozil (Lopid) and fenofibrate (Tricor), can put you at higher risk of developing gallstones. That's because these medications increase the amount of cholesterol released in bile — which can lead to gallstone formation — at the same time that they lower blood cholesterol. If you are taking one of these drugs, talk to your doctor about switching to another type of cholesterol-lowering medication, since not all cholesterol drugs have this effect.
Hormone therapy. Hormone replacement therapy can increase a woman's risk of developing gallstones since estrogen causes the body to make more cholesterol. If you are taking hormone therapy or are on high-dose birth control pills, talk to your doctor about your risk of gallstones, and ask if there are other hormone medications that may be better for you.
Juice fresh fruits and vegetables daily - The gallbladder is designed to work in conjunction with the liver to digest food and eliminate toxins. But when one or both of these vital organs gets clogged up due to poor nutrition or toxic buildup, cholesterol can crystallize with calcium to form gallstones.
At this point, it becomes much more difficult to break these stones down and prevent them from further complicating your health. Juicing fresh, alkalizing fruits and vegetables, however, can help quell inflammation and enzymatically detoxify both your liver and gallbladder on a regular basis. Raw, unfiltered apple juice, which is rich in pectin, will help soften and disintegrate any existing gallstones, as well as prevent new ones from forming. Lemons, celery, tomatoes, and beets are also excellent additions to any daily juicing regimen.\
At this point, it becomes much more difficult to break these stones down and prevent them from further complicating your health. Juicing fresh, alkalizing fruits and vegetables, however, can help quell inflammation and enzymatically detoxify both your liver and gallbladder on a regular basis. Raw, unfiltered apple juice, which is rich in pectin, will help soften and disintegrate any existing gallstones, as well as prevent new ones from forming. Lemons, celery, tomatoes, and beets are also excellent additions to any daily juicing regimen.\
Supplement with apple cider vinegar, malic acid - This unique home remedy is hailed by many as a safe, surefire way to eliminate gallstones without the need for surgery or drug interventions. Mixing apple cider vinegar (ACV) with malic acid -- apples and freshly-pressed apple juice are naturally rich in malic acid and other important softening substances, so this is another option -- and drinking it as part of a gallbladder flush is highly recommended for gallbladder health.
Add some extra turmeric to your meals - Studies have shown that turmeric, a spice composed mainly of curcumin, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food that helps maintain a healthy gallbladder. As it turns out, turmeric helps improve the solubility of bile, which means the body has a much easier time breaking down substances that would otherwise form into gallstones.
Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., suggests supplementing three times daily with at least 300 mg of curcumin in order to improve bile composition. He also suggests eating foods high in calcium, taking extra vitamin C (you can also take camu camu berry or acerola cherry powder for natural vitamin C), and limiting intake of refined sugar in order to prevent and treat gallstones
Castor oil transdermal packs neutralize inflammation - A rag must be soaked in pure, cold pressed castor oil that is obtained from a health food store beforehand. The excess should be squeezed-out just prior to use. Next the rag should be placed on bare skin over the organ. Put a piece of plastic on top of the rag. Then place a hot water bottle on top of that. The hot water bottle should be made as hot as possible, so long as the patient can tolerate it. If the person is numbed by drugs or otherwise, then use some common sense in helping the person to get an appropriate level of heat.
This transdermal system should remain in place for a minimum of 30 minutes, and doing this daily will benefit most patients. It is also recommended that the immediate area underneath the patient be covered in plastic too, because some of the castor oil will run down onto furniture or floors.
Reduce fat intake overall, especially unnatural and toxic fats like hydrogenated oils, soy, and canola. Natural fats (like butter) are better, but they should be used in moderation nonetheless.
Reduce your stress - This can be done in a variety of ways. Hobbies are great stress reducers. Meditation, massage and aromatherapy are also recommended.
More Do's and Don'ts
Exercise! Staying active can cut your risk of developing gallstones in half.
Lose some weight. Being overweight, even as little as 10 pounds, can double your risk of getting gallstones.
Diet sensibly. If you are overweight, plan on shedding pounds slowly. Losing weight too fast can increase your chances of developing gallstones.
Reduce your saturated fat intake. Too much fat in the diet increases your risk of gallstones. But don't cut back too drastically. You need some fat to give the gallbladder the message to empty bile. If you're trying to lose weight, don't go below 20 percent calories from fat.
Eat a low fat, low-cholesterol, high-fiber diet. Multiple studies show this is your best bet for a healthy body and a
healthy gallbladder.
healthy gallbladder.
Now that you understand how the gallbladder works and the home remedies you can use to keep it healthy, you're on your way to looking and feeling better.
