As a direct result of the Standard American Diet (SAD), gallbladder problems are rampant in modern society. Traditionally, many practitioners have supplemented those with gallbladder issues with products containing bile salts. While bile salts have helped a great number of patients support normal digestive processes, they do not benefit those patients without bile insufficiency. Some people produce adequate levels of bile; however, the bile they produce is too thick and thus may result in biliary stasis. Intolerances to fried or fatty meals, gas, bloating, constipation, headaches or pain after eating that refers to the shoulder (scapula), etc. are all functional signs that biliary function may be altered.
The gallbladder is a small, hollow organ situated off of the liver that stores and concentrates a digestive substance called bile. When food containing fats enter the digestive tract, the gallbladder contracts and squeezes bile into the intestine so the fats can be digested properly. The gallbladder is finicky; lots of things can go wrong with it. It may not store enough bile for your needs or the bile can be so thick and stagnant that the gallbladder can not squeeze it out. Sometimes stones can form in the gallbladder that block its use all together. A lot of different types of symptoms can result.
In addition to those previously mentioned, people may also experience diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, nausea, light-colored or foul stools, or even extreme pain. Sometimes these gallbladder attacks get so severe that the surgical removal of the organ becomes an appealing option. Unfortunately, the removal of the gallbladder may only alleviate immediate pain from gallstones -- it can lead to long-term consequences and side effects, particularly pain upon eating and chronic diarrhea. The gallbladder is so problematic that every year hundreds of thousands of people in the US get it surgically removed, but patient surveys taken 2-24 months post-surgically show that a full 40-50% of people are still having significant digestive problems. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that the elimination of the gallbladder causes the liver to constantly drip bile into the intestine, which can damage the
intestinal lining and may increase the risk of developing colon cancer.
Research has shown that certain nutrients, including a specific concentrate derived from organic beets, taurine, and pancrelipase, can assist with biliary stasis and support healthy gallbladder function in an incredibly short period of time. Rancid fats in the Standard American Diet are big culprits in why they gallbladder likes to attack people around the holidays. We find that many individuals who have been lumped into the category of IBS commonly have gallbladder symptoms that have not been addressed properly. If this is you or someone you may know of, we can help.
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