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It is shocking how many people are suffering from gallbladder problems today. While the typical patient dealing with gallbladder issues used to be a woman in her 40’s who is struggling with her weight, this is not the stereotypical case anymore.
Young children, mostly girls, are having gallbladder attacks with increasing frequency and ending up in the emergency room for treatment.
In the past month alone, I have heard of two cases in my local community of teenage girls having serious gallbladder problems, one of whom, a fifteen year old, who had hers removed.
According to an interview of Dr. Atena Rosak of St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Maryland who performs many gallbladder surgeries, more and more young people — especially young women — are coming under her knife.
Hospital officials where Dr. Rosak practices agree. The percentage of people aged 30 or younger among all patients having their gallbladders removed at St. Joseph increased from 12.5 percent in fiscal year 2007 to 16.3 percent in the first 10 months of the following fiscal year. That’s a 30 percent growth in the proportion of young people in the mix in less than a year.
What is the Gallbladder?
The gallbladder is a thumb-sized organ nestled in the liver where bile is stored and concentrated. The gallbladder releases bile produced by the liver into the small intestine where it is used for proper digestion and absorption of dietary fats.
While humans can live without a gallbladder, surgical removal, called a cholecystectomy, can cause challenges consuming fats from that point forward. Since the consumption of healthy fats is so key to health, preserving this tiny organ and keeping it functional is very important!
Obviously, fats can still be consumed after gallbladder surgery as the liver continues to produce bile, but with no place to store and concentrate the bile, fats become a much trickier process to handle in the diet without suffering from moderate to severe discomfort.
Certainly, if one can avoid having a cholecystectomy in the first place with a simple gallbladder cleanse, so much the better.
What Causes Gallbladder Disease?
As many as 25 million Americans are estimated to suffer from gallbladder disease, with more than a half-million having their gallbladders removed each year.
The most common thing that goes wrong with the gallbladder is the development of gallstones.
There are two types of gallstones: cholesterol stones and pigment stones.
Approximately 80% of stones are cholesterol stones which are caused by too much cholesterol or bilirubin (a component of bile), not enough bile salts, or improper emptying of the gallbladder. The cause of pigment stones is unknown but they tend to form in those with liver disease or blood disorders.
“Roughly 20 percent of the people walking around out there have gallstones. They’re a fairly common occurrence,” said Dr. Richard A. Mackey, a biliary and pancreatic surgeon at St. Joseph Medical Center.
Gallstones can continue to grow over time and eventually cause irritation to the gallbladder itself. Sometimes, the gallstones move into the bile duct causing pain or blockage. Pain, nausea, and fever are the most common symptoms. Partial or complete blockage can also cause swelling, infection, and the need for emergency surgery.
While the causes of gallbladder disease aren’t entirely clear, poor diet, excess calcium, and estrogenic foods seem to be involved.
Best Cleanse to Flush Gallstones
If gallbladder problems are occurring in your household or if you are having problems consuming fats, consideration of a liver and gallbladder cleanse may be in order.
Andreas Moritz in his book The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse, suggests that ridding the body of substances that “clog up the body’s cleansing organs creating a toxic environment” is a wise practice for maintaining good health. He provides simple step-by-step instructions on performing a gall bladder cleanse. Dr. David Williams also details the process on his website.
While a gallbladder cleanse is simple to do, you should check with your preferably holistic practitioner first if you have a history of gallbladder problems to make sure you don’t have a large calcified stone that is too large to pass out of the bile duct.
A good friend of mine did a gallbladder cleanse over 10 years ago when he had a gall bladder attack and was told he needed surgery. The gall stones came out during the flush, his symptoms resolved and he never did have to have the surgery! Given the risks of surgery and potential complications post-op, such a simple procedure certainly seems worth a shot, wouldn’t you agree?
Already Had Surgery?
If the gall bladder cleanse fails to provide enough relief to avoid surgery, know that you can still eat fats afterward.
This article on eating fat after gallbladder surgery outlines the process for retraining the body to produce bile at mealtimes so that you can consume healthy fats without risk to health post-op.
References
More Young Women Seem to be Suffering from Gallbladder Disease
My Liver Cleanse Miracle Experience
More Information
this is crazy whoaa- this could really help with pimples.
Due to blood sugar issues, is there a substitute for the apple juice or apple cider?
Yes, you can buy malic acid from a wine store and add it to your water. The directions for this are in Mr. Moritz’s book.
Thank you! 🙂
I did a juice fast for 3 days and the did the olive oil/lemon juice thing and it worked perfectly. You don’t have to do fruit juice, you can use fresh veggies in your juicer or add an apple to the mix. And I do mean just the juice, not a veggie smoothy with all the pulp and fiber. Personally, I think it’s better to do only clear juice before the cleanse so you give your liver and gallbladder a break.
I tried this method a number of years ago, but didn’t experience any relief. A chiropractor gave me a small book on juicing for specific health conditions. The recommendation for the gallbladder involved juicing a cucumber, a couple of carrots and a 2″ beet so that you wound up with at least 16 ounces of juice. Then pour the juice through cheesecloth or something similar to strain out any solids. The treatment involved drinking that concoction every morning for breakfast. It was powerful for me. I had to go more slowly, but over the month, the problem dissipated and I haven’t had the problem since.
Catherine can you give exact recipe. Very interested in trying his method first.
And name of the juicing book, thank you.
I read recently that Andrea M recently died from a mysterious death. It made me pause after reading his most recent book. I suppose cleansing in moderation is key.
You can definitely overdo cleansing! No doubt about it. This particular cleanse really should not be attempted more than once or twice a year.
This comment just hit my inbox from my friend Jimmy C.
Sarah
About 10 years ago Amy and I did the dreaded Atkins diet and even though I lost weight, I for really sick. Nauseated for 30 days. They determined that they a nuclear hida scan that my gall bladder was not functioning and need to be removed. Surgery was scheduled. But I did some research and decided to postpone surgery to so the flush. I did the flush and the very next day I felt 100%. Since then I have had no gall bladder issues. Isn’t that amazing? My doctor had told me I was crazy.
This concerns me. If a person has gallstones already and flush these stones into the common bile duct, this can lead to serious medical conditions such as blocked common bile duct from stones too large to pass through the ampulla that drains bile into the small intestine. That in turn can lead to cholangitis and pancreatitis. Both of these conditions are potentially life threatening. Most people who have their gallbladder removed adjust to not having a gallbladder. The common bile duct dilates and takes over the role of the gallbladder. I personally had my gallbladder removed 40 years ago at age 19 after recurrent, painful gallbladder attacks. While some people do have problems digesting fats for a while after cholecystectomy, I have not problem eating as much fat as I want.
This might be okay for people trying to prevent gallbladder disease, but I would proceed with caution in people that have known gallbladder disease
As suggested in the article, those with previous gallbladder disease need to consult with a preferably holistic doctor (because conventional ones will think you are nuts for doing a cleanse) to see if there are any large calcified stones too large to pass through the bile duct.
A appreciate your caution, but I did a similar but more demanding cleanse than this, and my gallstones – all +100 of them were soft like jello – the olive oil and citrus prompting this change. One jello-like blob was the size of a pea. All the rest were substantially smaller.
Although I did my cleanse very successfully without supervision, I agree with Sarah that it would be a good idea to do this kind of a cleanse with the supervision of a health care provider. Surgery is a severe option. Since my cleanse, I have never experienced the sharp pains under my ribs (at my gall bladder) that were normal as a teen and child.
Also, quality olive oil is an absolute must.
This is not gallstones but the result of “therapy” (saponified olive oil) your gallstones are still there… sorry. Just Check it with ultrasound.
I was told that eating a low fat diet is what causes Gallbladder problems. That is what happened to me when I was 19 I did weight watchers (yuck) and when I stopped and went back to eating fat, I started having problems. I had to go to the ER 2-3x and then eventually had my gallbladder removed. I still have issues with fats at times causing loose bowels. I wish I had known this information then. Also my sister developed problems at the same time and had hers removed a month before me and my dad had had his removed about a year before, so it seems there might be a hereditory link also.
This comment is not meant to argue at all…just trying to add to the discussion….
Is it *really* hereditary that you all had gallbladder issues? Or is it just the fact that you all mimic the same behavior (eating a low fat/nutrient deficient diet)?
I do believe genetics plays a role in a lot of issues, but it is really hard to distinguish genetics from family traditions and behaviors. For example, if your great-grandma ate low-fat and had gb issues and then raised your grandma that way who also had gb issues who raised your mom that way who raised you that way, then we can see how traditions and behaviors are passed down. If the behavior caused specific problems in your great-grandma, you would expect others in the family to have the same problem IF THEY ENGAGE IN THE SAME BEHAVIOR. But, the root of it is in the behavior not the genetics. I once heard that genetics loads the gun, behavior and lifestyle pull the trigger.
I am glad that you have begun to learn how healthy and necessary good fats are! I wish I had learned earlier too.
But, I totally agree with Brooke in regards to genetics. Almost all of my previous generation is living without their gallbladders. I did a powerful gallbladder cleanse once in my 20s. Now at the age where, according to my family history, I should be doubled over in excruciating pain and scheduled for surgery, I am fine.
I attribute my gallstones to my inability to digest milk. This might partially be the result of genetics, but starting life with pasteurized and homogenized cow milk immediately after birth certainly prompted this issue to take on a life of its own.
I did this cleanse twice. The first time was many years ago when I was diagnosed with stones and my doctor told me I needed to have my gall bladder removed. After the cleanse I was pain free for 3 years.
Three years after the first cleanse, I felt the familiar pain and immediately did the cleanse again. I have not had any pain since, that was 8 years ago.
I can’t see how to do the cleanse? Can you help me. I’m desperate to do it
Hi Sarah: I have had my gallbladder removed and take BileMin (suggested by my acupuncturist). I just recently received and started taking the Green Pasture Butter Oil/Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend. Can I take them at the same time or will the BileMin negate the Oils? Thanks for your help.
Do you personally do this cleanse once or twice a year even with no gallbladder issues?
I have never had a problem digesting fats fortunately and have fairly strong digestion, so no I don’t do this cleanse every single year. If you have no gallbladder or liver issues, it is up to you how often to do this if at all. If you have problems digesting fats and get nauseous when you eat even healthy ones, that is a good indicator of some issues in the liver/gallbladder area that a gallbladder cleanse could address.