Healthy Liver - Gall Bladder

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Created on Thursday, 26 November 2009 16:39

Healthy Liver / Gallbladder & Cholesterol Crystals

Many nutritionists believe diet is the most important factor as gallstones rarely develop in populations that eat a

more traditional, unrefined diet. To understand how gallstones form, it is necessary to understand how the biliary tract functions.

To learn about liver cleanses and gall bladder flushing -

Bile serves two purposes: making dietary lipids more digestible, and excreting cholesterol and other unwanted materials from the body. Bile is formed in the liver from bile acids (lipid-dissolving agents), cholesterol, minerals and phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine or lecithin. Once formed, bile is transported to the gallbladder, where it is concentrated and stored until needed.

A fatty meal stimulates gallbladder contraction and bile flow into the small intestine where it combines with food to emulsify the fatty elements. It also enables digestive enzymes to break fats down into their elementary components - fatty acids, monoglycerides, cholesterol and fat-soluble vitamins. Bile salts then corral these substances into minute complexes, called micelles, and shunt them to the lining of the intestinal tract for absorption. Under normal circumstances, bile components remain in solution as a liquid. But when bile becomes cholesterol-heavy, the cholesterol may crystallize and start to form a stone.

Gallstones are made mainly of cholesterol, bilirubin and calcium salts, with smaller amounts of protein and other materials. In Western Countries essentially all gallstones, whether cholesterol or pigmented, arise in the gallbladder, while in the Orient a significant fraction of pigmented stones originate in the bile ducts. In Western Countries cholesterol is the principal constituent of more than three quarters of gallstones. In the simplest sense, cholesterol gallstones form when the cholesterol concentration in bile exceeds the ability of bile to hold cholesterol in solution. Non-cholesterol stones are categorized as black or brown pigment stones, consisting of calcium salts of bilirubin. In normal individuals only about 1% of the bilirubin in gallbladder bile is unconjugated. When the percentage of unconjugated bilirubin increases so does the risk of developing bilirubin gallstones.

Bacterial infection is also been proven to be very important in the forming of the gallstone. Recently, there are many research reports about the function in the forming of the gallstones. The content of aerobe, anaerobe, L-bacterium，and Helicobacter pylori of the gallbladder tissue, bile, gallstone and portal vein have been tested through the use of the immunohistochemistry and by the use of PCR-DNA analysis. These results indicated that bacterial infection and the formation of gallstones and the chronic inflammation of bile duct system are closely related.

NUTRITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Eat a diet consisting of 75% raw foods. Include in the diet applesauce, yogurt, cottage cheese, broiled fish, fresh apples, and beets. The juice of apples, pears, figs and beets (including the tops) promote healing. In general, increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, and high-fiber foods, especially those containing soluble fiber. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts/seeds are low saturated fat and high fiber foods that are needed in the diet for healing gallbladder disorders.

Gallbladder disease may be prevented by increased intake of Vitamin C. (Medical Hypotheses, 40(2), February 1993, p. 81-84.) Drink plenty of fresh "live" juices. See your personal HealthSmart Nutrition Metabolic Bio-typing Advisor for more information about making fresh juice drinks.

A high fibre diet protects from gallbladder disease by binding cholesterol and bile salts, and decreasing intestinal transit time. A high fibre diet can only be achieved with unprocessed, unrefined foods. Unfortunately, the typical American diet provides very little of the needed foods daily. Raw vegetables are good sources of fibre because they contain the cellulose the body needs to break down the fibre. The best source is raw carrots; their fibre binds many colon toxins.

Specific foods and their benefits for liver and gallbladder:

• RED BEET is one of the best foods to support the liver and gallbladder. This can be taken in a supplement that can give you organically grown beet leaves and beet roots powder. The therapeutic part of the beet is its naturally occurring betaine which comes from the leaf and root of the plant. Betaine has long been shown to be an effective agent promoting the transportation of fats and helping to prevent the accumulation of fat in the liver.
  
  
• APPLE: Apples cleanse the liver and gallbladder (especially green apples).
  
  
• BLUEBERRY: Has medicinal properties for liver and blood.
  
  
• CARROTS: Excellent for liver rejuvenation and cleansing.
  
  
• CHICORY: Both the root and the greens, is an excellent tonic that cleanses and helps regulate the liver and gallbladder.
• KALE: It can ease liver congestion.
  
  
• LEMON: It benefits bile formation and therefore supports liver function.

• OLIVE OIL: In the Middle East, extra virgin olive oil is highly regarded for its ability to support liver and gallbladder functions.
• ORANGE: Used in ancient times for its medicinal properties for those with liver weakness because it's a liver cleanser.
  
  
• BLUE GREEN ALGAE (Wild Crafted): Helps to lower cholesterol and suppresses fatty accumulations in the liver. Take up to 3 grams a day (10 to 15 capsules). What is remarkable about wild blue green algae is its minerals content. Ounce for ounce, wild blue green algae is higher in minerals than any other class of foods. Sodium, boron, chromium, zinc, copper, etc, is in wild blue green algae. All the minerals in wild blue green algae are held tightly and deeply within the very core of hundreds of transformative enzyme systems. Minerals in wild blue green algae are naturally-chelated and are directly assimilated and more easily put to work within our own similar, but vastly more complex system of enzymes. As a result, each of our cells function more smoothly, especially the cells in our largest detoxifying organ, the liver.
  
  
• WHEAT GRASS or WHEAT SPROUTS are a good source of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. It can nourish the blood and aid the liver in detoxification. It is easy and inexpensive to grow if you want to use it fresh (best nutrition).
  
  
• COCONUT OIL can be used by anyone but it is especially good for those suffering from gallbladder disorders or for anyone who has had their gallbladder removed. Using coconut oil in place of other oils will greatly benefit anyone. Because coconut oil is made of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), the metabolism of these fatty acids do not require bile or pancreatic enzymes. Therefore, the fats from coconut oil are easily digested with or without a gallbladder.
  
  
• TURMERIC: Helps tone the liver and is known as a liver regenerator.
  
  
• Flaxseed oil is needed for repair and prevention of gallstones as it contains essential fatty acids.

Nutrients

Avoid isolated vitamins and minerals
HealthSmart Nutrition’s Bio-typing advisor recommends that you move away from isolated vitamins and minerals. So forget about those cheap, low-cost bottles of vitamin C, vitamin E or those B vitamins you might find at the wholesale clubs, pharmacies Health Food or grocery stores. These are typically not going to do you very much good, because your body doesn't need just vitamin C; your body needs a whole complement of vitamins from a lot of different sources. If you want vitamin C, go with food-state nutrients. You'll get plenty of vitamin C in a food-state tablet. Food state nutrients contain natural carbohydrates, proteins, fats, chelated amino acids as well as nutrients and their associated nutrient co-factors. [Isolated chemical nutrients contain only isolated chemical nutrients (and maybe artificial colourings, flavourings and sugar).]

*FoodState

Some suggested treatments are as follows:

Alfalfa cleanses the liver and supplies necessary vitamins and minerals. Twice a day for two days, take 1,000 milligrams in tablet or capsule form with a glass of warm water.

Peppermint oil capsules are used in Europe to cleanse the gallbladder. 1-2 capsules enteric-coated peppermint oil, three times daily between meals.

Other beneficial herbs include barberry root bark, catnip, cramp bark, dandelion, fennel, ginger root, horsetail, parsley, and wild yam. Caution: Do not use barberry during pregnancy.

Cholagogue/choleretic herbal combination (e.g., dandelion root, burdock) tincture: 30-45 drops three times/day; tea: 1-3 teaspoons dried herb per cup boiling water (simmer root herbs or steep leafy herbs for 10-15 minutes), 2-3 cups/day.

A Standard Method for the Liver and Gallbladder flush is:
1. Freshly squeeze some citrus fruits such as grapefruit, orange, lemon and limes to make 300 mls (11oz) of juice. This will have a slightly sour taste, which is good, as bitter tasting fruits and vegetables stimulate the flow of bile from the liver and gall bladder. Dilute this juice with 200 mls (7oz) of filtered water.

2. Finely grate 1 to 2 cloves of fresh garlic and half a teaspoon of fresh gingerroot, and then press both in a garlic press to make juice. Add this juice to the water and citrus juice mixture. Garlic and ginger are liver cleansing and garlic contains sulphur compounds that the liver requires for its detoxification enzymes.

3. Pour 300 mls (11oz) of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil into a warm glass.

4. Every 15 minutes swallow 3 tablespoons of the citrus juice mixture and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Try to relax in between these 15- minute intervals. Some people find it beneficial to lie down on their right side with a hot water bottle over the liver area, which helps to dilate the bile ducts to allow the passage of small stones and sludge from the gall bladder. Others prefer to sit in a warm bath, which also helps to dilate the bile ducts.

5. If you desire, collect all your bowel actions (they may be loose and messy) into a bucket and when the flush is over, place them in a large strainer or colander and run tap water over them. You will probably find many greenish stones/gritty sludge around the size of a lentil or slightly larger. There may also be some large soft stones full of fatty cholesterol. Some people may not want to collect their bowel actions and are content to hear the stones clanging as they land in the toilet bowl!

I recommend that a qualified health practitioner always supervises the liver/gallbladder flush. Certain people such as pregnant women, young children, very elderly and frail people, insulin-dependent diabetics or those with severe liver disease or an acutely inflamed gallbladder, should not try the liver/ gallbladder flush and should discuss it with their own doctor. Some people who do this flush may find that they feel very nauseated (bilious), and/or vomit several times. Abdominal cramps and diarrhoea may accompany this, before the stones are passed.

An Alternative Method for the Liver and Gallbladder flush is:
• Drink one quart (one litre) of organic unsweetened apple juice daily for five days. This will soften up the stones to such an extent that they can be squashed with the fingers. During these five days eat mainly raw fruits and vegetables and no dairy products, red meat or chicken.

• On the sixth day, skip dinner and at 6 p.m. take a tablespoonful of epsom salts with 3 glasses of water. Repeat this at 8 p.m.

• At 10 p.m. make a cocktail of 115ml (4 ounces) of olive oil and 115ml of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Shake this very well and drink immediately.

• Next morning you will pass green stones varying from the size of grains of sand to as large as your thumb nail. You may be amazed at the results, as have many thousands of people who have used this technique to avoid surgery.

Preparation for the flush:
To prepare for the flushing procedure, I recommend that during the two days prior to the commencement of the flush, you only consume raw fruits and vegetables and drink 2 litres (4 pints) of water daily. This preparation will lessen the chance of a bad reaction. Begin the liver flush in the morning after some brisk walking and deep breathing exercises. Make sure that you drink two litres of water gradually by sipping it slowly during the day, otherwise the flush may induce dehydration.

Some protagonists of this procedure, recommend that you begin the flush at 7 p.m. because they believe that the gall bladder is “more active at night”. This may be true, however you will not get much sleep that night, if you decide to do the flush while the moon is shining! If you are a person who forms recurrent gall stones you can do this flush 3 times every year to prevent gall stones from building up. Some people do it every month and find that it does not cause any problems or side effects. This is because a healthy liver manufactures and secretes healthy bile, which prevents gall bladder inflammation and gallstones.

We do know that family history often plays a part in liver and gall bladder disease so if you find yourself with gallstones, have a good look at your family history and take extra special care of your liver. Gallstones are more common during pregnancy. If gallstones are recurrent in younger persons, this may be a sign of an underlying blood disease.

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