Nearly everyone has at least a few gall bladder and liver stones. Most of the time, the stones are small, pass on their own, and cause no pain or other health issues. However, if a person misguidedly follows a low saturated fat diet, the need for bile production in the liver is minimized. Over time and/or in times of high stress, the atrophied gall bladder can cause extreme pain (“gall bladder attack”) because it is weak from not adequately performing its metabolically designed task of bile storage.
If a person has gall bladder issues, some may choose to follow the basic gall bladder flush using apple juice.
However, because the apple juice method is high in sugar and can be problematic for those prone to canker sores or otherwise have fructose malabsorption issues, the liver flush developed by Dr. Hulda Clark is worth considering instead. (1)
Malic Acid Supplement for 6 Days
Malic acid is the substance in apple juice that helps loosen and soften stones. To avoid consuming large amounts of apple juice to obtain it in therapeutic amounts, a pure malic acid supplement can be used instead. It should not contain anything else such as magnesium, magnesium stearate, or silicon dioxide. This brand is one of the few that qualifies.
1 capsule for 6 days was suggested by Dr. Clark until recently.
Note that this step any longer in her official protocol. (2) I am not aware of the reason for its removal, however, other expert sources still contain it (in the form of apple juice), so use it if you feel your stones are in need of softening before the flush. (3)
Otherwise, proceed directly to the next step.
Fast on Flush Day Starting Mid-Afternoon
On “flush day” (day 6 if you are using malic acid beforehand), eat lightly until 2 pm. Avoid anything fatty which would cause the liver to secrete bile and thus, not be in a relaxed state. After 2 pm, stop eating entirely. A few sips of water is ok.
Epsom Salt Solution
Measure 4 tablespoons of food-grade Epsom salt in 3 cups of water. Blend well so it fully dissolves.
You may add 1/8 tsp natural vitamin C powder to improve the taste.
Refrigerate (improves taste only). If ice-cold water on an empty stomach gives you cramps, leave it at room temperature.
Epsom salt aids in widening the gall bladder and liver ducts for easy expelling of stones.
At 6 pm on flush day, consume 6 ounces of the Epsom salt solution. You may rinse your mouth or drink a bit of plain water afterward.
At 8 pm the same day, consume another 6 ounces of Epsom salts solution with optional mouth rinsing.
Olive Oil and Grapefruit Beverage
After consuming the first two Epsom salt doses, mix ½ cup olive oil and 2/3 cup freshly squeezed, pulpless pink grapefruit juice (about 2 grapefruit) in a pint-sized container with a lid. Do not use pasteurized store juice. Add 10 to 20 drops of black walnut tincture (optional) to remove liver parasites such as flukes.
Prepare this mixture at 9:45 pm on Day 6.
Massage your liver area firmly to help release loosened stones. To do this, push your fingers underneath the right side of your upper rib cage, giving it a gentle but firm massage for a few minutes to help release the stones. This might be slightly uncomfortable as it may loosen stones further.
At 10 pm, drink the olive oil and grapefruit juice mixture while standing. The taste is not pleasant, so you may need to hold your breath while you quickly down it. Drink in 5 minutes if you can.
Consider using L-ornithine capsules with the first sips to make sure you will sleep through the night.
Warning: Some people feel a bit unwell after consuming this beverage. People on gall and liver flush forums mostly report feeling fine, however.
Rest Very Still
Immediately after consuming the olive oil/grapefruit juice beverage, lie down on your right side. If you would like, use a heating pad or hot water bottle (not too hot!) over your liver area (the right side of the abdomen where the rib cage is). If you don’t lie down right away, you might not get many stones out. The use of heat is not in Dr. Clark’s protocol, however, others I know have found it helpful, which is why I mention it.
Remain as still as possible for 20 minutes. You may actually feel the sensation of stones traveling through the bile ducts, though this will not hurt. The heating from the pad helps the stones release.
After 20 minutes of laying still on your right side, go to bed. Feel free to keep the gentle heat on your liver area all night if you wish.
Passing Stones
The next morning at 6 am or later when you awake, drink another 6 ounces of the Epsom solution. Don’t go back to bed.
Two hours later, drink the last 6 ounces of the Epsom solution. By this time, you will almost certainly be needing to use the bathroom to pass stones. The Epsom salts have a laxative effect, so you may experience loose stools too.
Two hours later, you can start to eat lightly. Fruit juice is suggested at first, followed by fruit. By dinnertime, you should feel recovered with all stones passed.
To get some idea of what they look like, check out these images here.
For more details, refer to Dr. Clark’s full instructions.
Is a Liver Flush Safe?
Dr. Clark says that in her clinical experience supervising over 500 cases, an at-home liver cleanse is very safe even for those who are in the 70s and 80s.
However, it has the potential to make a person feel ill for 1-2 days afterward. For this reason, Dr. Clark suggests the completion of a parasite and kidney cleanse first, though this is not necessary if your purpose for the flush is regular health maintenance. (4, 5)
Have you ever done a liver cleanse before? What results did you get and what protocol did you use?
References
(1) Dr. Hulda Clark Liver Cleanse Guide
(2) Liver Cleanse Instructions
(3) Gall Bladder Natural Treatments
(4) Kidney Cleanse
(5) Parasite Cleanse
I did a liver and gallbladder cleanse like this one last year, but it also included using coffee enemas and warm water enemas which were pretty gruelling (the purpose of these enemas, they said, was to ensure that the bowel was clear of blockages, so no stones would get caught in the intestines, subsequently causing other health problems). However, the cleanse itself was simple, and quite interesting as I could feel the stones “rolling” out of my liver once I laid down (this cleanse said to lay on your back but propped up with pillows) …it just went on and on! It seemed like the organic and freshly ground coffee enemas caused a lovely sense of euphoria too! Once the cleanse was done, I felt lighter on my feet, and a lot happier and lighter in my mood, clearer thinking, and clearer eyesight amazingly, and although I felt a little weak for a couple of days, afterward we went on some long walks/hikes, and it felt so much easier to do so!
I have fatty liver! Is my hairs that’s whys getting white?
Is this for stones only? I used to be obese and as a result, I have a “mild fatty liver”. Will this protocol improve this?
Unfortunately, this protocol will not improve fatty liver. There is no quick fix for that, only dietary and lifestyle modifications.
I’ve done Dr Clark’s cleanse several times over the past 20 years. It works very well, but follow her directions exactly for best results. I’ve found that having as light of a breakfast as possible (and certainly avoiding all fat) makes for a better cleanse. Not sure about pink vs. other types of grapefruit. Last time I did it (earlier this year), I’m certain the grapefruit I purchased at Whole Foods was not designated exactly as “Pink.”
Whoops, I see that the Epsom Salt solution is what is repeated, not the olive oil/grapefruit juice blend. ?
Different question: must you use pink grapefruit juice? We have white grapefruit ripening on a tree in our yard – will that not work?
I’m not sure why Dr. Clark specifies pink grapefruit juice and not white grapefruit juice. Pink grapefruit juice is sweeter than white grapefruit and so perhaps makes the cleansing beverage more palatable. That is my best guess.
Hi Sarah,
There seems to be an amount missing of the olive oil / grapefruit juice mixture to swallow at the beginning, and the later two doses plus the first dose don’t seem to add up to the original amount.
Please clarify.
Thank you.