Hi!

I canceled surgery to get my gallbladderremoved and have decided to try to rehabilitate it and see if I can get it functioning again. I don't have any stones but it is functioning only at 32%.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what kind of foods/herbs/supplements I can take to get my GB working again?

I am taking a beetroot supplement, choline and digestives enzymes.

Many Thanks!

PS: I was thinking of doing a juice fast of some sort but my chiropractor said that one of the reasons for GB dysfunction is following a low fat diet since consuming fats is what keeps the GB active.

I wonder whether my previous juice fasts and low fat raw diet in some way caused it to malfunction. I personally don't think so, but I sometimes wonder.

Did you try the bitter herbs on the back of the tongue, they will get bile flow stimulated.

Yes a small amount of fats help the gallbladder from stagnating.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

Thanks Powerlifer! I thought the choline were the bitters but I guess i was wrong.

Do I just buy bitters at my health store, is that how i ask for them?

They often come as digestive bitters or most commonly swedish bitters im not fond on of them as they contain stimulant laxative herbs.

If you wish to not just use a powdered bitter herb such as andrographis, dandelion, gentian, milk thistle etc then you can buy grape or chinese bitters online.

@Powerlifer: Why not just juice dandelion leaves in that case? As part of a green juice or whatever? I would think that powders and the like that are processed and dried (possibly at high temps) would not be as good...

The processing and drying is actually needed in many herbs case.

But yeah bitter foods work also, what you want is to use them pre meal and for them to come in contact with the back of the tongue, its easiest to do this with a tincture, water based bitter formula or powder in my opinion. But bitter foods do work the same.

Also the bitter herbs are usually have liver/gallbladder support properties also.

[www.amlaberry.]

I forgot to say did you try the lecithin also? You should able to pickup soya lecithin at your local health store and its good for improving gallbladder function and absorption of fats.

Bitters first off though you should notice a big difference using them pre meal.

I also forgot to say i would ditch the digestive enzymes, not only can they stop your own production if used long term. Most formulas contain cellulase and hemicellulase which break down fiber into sugars. In your case this isn't a good idea as fiber is needed for bile formation.

Bitter herbs stimulate the bodies own production of stomach acid, enzymes and bile secretion. Rather than substitute.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2011 03:39PM by powerlifer.

I would ask what foods you are currently eating. Because it would seem to me that if a person eats saturated animal fat, they would have to stop. I have heard of this flush with olive oil and lemon juice. *Just cranked up the Google:

[www.peak-health-now.com]

banana who Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would ask what foods you are currently eating.
> Because it would seem to me that if a person eats
> saturated animal fat, they would have to stop. I
> have heard of this flush with olive oil and lemon
> juice. *Just cranked up the Google:
>
> [www.peak-health-now.com]
> anse-instructions.html

The liver flush, with epsom, olive oil and lemon juice or its variants are a myth and quite dangerous. Even with the bile ducts being dilated from the magnesium these pseudo stones wouldn't fit through, nor do most of us have 100s of these "stones" that seem to come out with each flush which have been shown.

I know of many who have had to have there gallbladder taken out due to this flush so beware.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

I have been dealing with GB trouble for a long time nowLast year I had an ultra sound done on my gallbladder and the walls were thicker then they were supposed to be ... this year I had another Ultrasound done and the walls are no longer thick... and is in normal range... you do not want too much fat...it seems the more fat I consume the more it bothers me...but the same way with too little fat... I did read too that Fasting is not good for the gall bladder which is a struggle for me because fasting helps my painful cramps during my periods... so I shortened my fasts... since I have been raw I have had less gallbladder flair ups also you want to stay away from the brassica family cabbage, broccoli cauliflower kale brussel sprouts... anything that causes a lot of gas... like raw garlic I can't do at all... this is not forever... since my gb is not thick anymore i have been able to tolerate these things though of the brassica family i mostly eat them lightly steamed or not at all with the exception of Kale ... pay attention to how you feel after having these foods including fats... i just paid attention and noticed that promptly after eating these things I would be very VERY tired so much so sometimes i had to go straight to bed... so I try to do in moderation...

rehabilitating your gallbladder can be done though good luck love and blessings.

love laugh and dream

luvyou, you should try a good magnesium supplement for the period cramps as it is partially the calcium that causes the pain. Magnesium malate or citrate are good choices or magnesium oil. Magnesium oxide should be avoided as its caustic and neutralizes stomach acid.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

You know Powerlifer, I was thinking that gallstones are a combination of calcium and fat. But if someone is suffering from this sort of thing, perhaps even magnesium supplements are not that good for their gallbladder condition. I dunno. Regarding the flush, lemon juice dissolves crystals so it would seem to be a great solvent. I am not familiar with the properties of olive oil and the epsom again is a form of magnesium, right? So I wouldn't recommend that, but what about lemon juice and olive oil? And of course eliminating all animal products and perhaps going 100% raw.

From what i remember its cups of oil there using which is just silly in my opinion to get the gallbladder moving, better off with bitters like i say.

Most gallstones are a composed of calcified cholesterol in which case magnesium would be a good choice. There are a few studies on magnesium intake being linked to lower gallstone formation.

But overall if you want to be gallstone free you have to have sufficient bile flow.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

I don't think I want to go down the flush route, first I don't have any apparent stones (ultrasounds, cat scan etc) and second the thought of putting that much olive oil into my body at once scares the living daylights out of me, just even moderate fat hurts my GB enough.

Powerlife, I didn't know that about digestive enzymes. I will try to find the bitters and do that and see how it goes. Do I take them like 30mins before a meal or just right before?

Luvyuu, thanks for telling me your experience with this, very helpful.

Banana who, I currently eat high raw, I do have some cooked things like oatmeal or maybe some gluten free toast, but I try to do fruits and veggies mostly. I don't eat meat but have once in a while added organic butter to my toast.


I do wonder though, what if I do have it out, would it be a really bad thing? My sister had hers out in her 20's (she is now 45, I'm 40). She had the same problem that I do, no stones just not functuning, and she said she felt way better afterwards and has had no issues since. Hummm, I guess I'm juts a little more skeptical.

Just before meal and make sure they come in contact with the back of the tongue as much as possible as that is where the bitter receptors are located.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

Thanks Powerlife!

Let us know how you get on, will be interesting if you can get a re-test after say 3 times daily using the bitter herbs and see how well you GB is functioning then.

I was never aloud the test doctors here aren't very forthcoming with health, but i know i had poor bile flow myself due to pale stools and poor digestion especially of fats at one point and the bitters sorted me out.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

Wow, that is great to know ... I swear I'm like in the verge of just giving in and having it taken out because I haven't heard of anyone actually been able to make the gb heal. That and the fact that I'm in the middle of moving countries just has me a little less focused to try and do all I can to make it better.

How long would you say you felt better? Do you think being raw helped - where you raw then? I try to be as raw and whole foods as possible just don't know how easy it will be once the movers come in a week or two and pack everything up and just leave me with bare essentials for 4- 6 weeks.

Thanks for your time powerlife, it is appreciated!

Its no problem at all glad if i can help.

You should instantly notice a difference with the bitters whether that is better digestion or alleviation of any of the symptoms.

Id get off them digestive enzymes ASAP as like i say you don't want cellulase and hemicellulase breaking down the fibers into sugar when you need the fibers for bile formation.

At the time i wasn't raw or even vegan i was eating very high protein, fat meals which obviously was stressing my gallbladder/digestion as i wasn't coping with it. Not that it really helped going low fat anyway as like in your case my GB just wasn't functioning well.

Im no doctor etc but the bitters should help and try and stay consistent with them, one thing though is that they are the most effective tool to cleanse your liver so initially up your water intake slightly to offset any detox symptoms.

Go with the chinese or grape bitters if you can it will be easier for you to stay consistent with a bottled formula and like i say most health stores only carry the swedish variety which contain stimulant laxative herbs which weaken bowel function. If your in the US your lucky as a large amount of online stores sell grape bitters which are produced by planetary herbs.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

Yes, I'm in the US until I move to Belgium in a few weeks ... I will look online for the bitters. If there are any brands you recommend please let me know.

These are the digestive enzymes I've been taking and honestly they have helped but I don't want to create a bigger problem in the long run.

[www.enzymedica.com]
[www.enzymedica.com]

also
[www.jarrow.com]

and
[www.standardprocess.com] 12-16 pills a day

and
[www.standardprocess.com] 6 pills a day

If I just could take the bitters and that's all then it would be easier.

I know you are not a doctor, nor would I take your advice as such, but I'm willing to try things that have worked on others, so again thanks for the feedback you have provided.

Nathalie

The grape bitters by planetary herbs is a good brand, you should able to pick them up cheap as i order them for the US for myself now and again as a spring/autumn liver cleanse.

Digestive enzymes will help digestion but they come with there downfalls like i say and its better to stimulate the release with bitters rather than substitute.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

Just re-reading my last post, I sound angry ... hahaha.

Thanks Powerlife, I will look for those.

You rock :-)

powerlifer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I know of many who have had to have there
> gallbladder taken out due to this flush so beware.
>
>
> [www.amlaberry.co.ik]


Really, what happens to the gall bladder after flushing?

I saw these digestive bitters , they look pretty good, what do you think?


[www.vitalityherbsandclay.com]

Ingredients



Ingredients: Trifala (Amalaki, Bibitaki, Haritaki), Yarrow, Alfalfa Leaf, Aloe Vera, Boldo, Cardamon, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Codonopsis, Coriander Seed, Corn Silk, Cumin, Fennel, Ginger, Hawthorn Berry, Peppermint, Sarsaparilla, Turmeric, Ancient Plant Minerals, Caraway Seeds, Chanca Piedra, Dandelion Root, Dill, Fenugreek, Fringe Tree Bark, Galangal, Gold Coin Grass, Jatoba, Milk Thistle, Oregano, Red Peony Root, Rosemary, Thyme, Turkey Rhubarb, Wintergreen, American Calamus, Chickweed, Parsley Leaf, Plantain Leaf, Andrographitis, Ashwagandha, Bupleurum, Guacatonga, Gymnema, Hungarian Paprika, Licorice, Nettles Root, Oregon Grape Root, Pipali, Wild Yam, Devil’s Claw, Elecampane, Epazote, Gentian, Nutmeg, Vitallite, Humic/Fulvic Substance, Ormalite



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2011 10:40AM by Ariel55.

The formula is in capsules which defeats the purpose of using bitters as they must come in contact with the back of your tongue to stimulate the bitter receptors so powder or liquid.

There was also a few stimulant laxative herbs in there such as turkey rhubarb, the grape or chinese bitters like i say are the best idea. Both can be found easily online.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

powerlifer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The formula is in capsules which defeats the
> purpose of using bitters as they must come in
> contact with the back of your tongue to stimulate
> the bitter receptors so powder or liquid.
>
> There was also a few stimulant laxative herbs in
> there such as turkey rhubarb, the grape or chinese
> bitters like i say are the best idea. Both can be
> found easily online.
>
> [www.vegankingdom.co.uk]


Oh dear..

you can open the capsule!!

Also it does come in losse form too, for those whom that does not occur too or do not wish to open a capusle

I wanted to know about the forumla, and who are the people who had their gall bladder taken out as a result of gall flushes as i've never heard that before

Got my bitters today ... the grape ones for Planetary Herbals.

Let you know how it goes!

"The liver flush, with epsom, olive oil and lemon juice or its variants are a myth and quite dangerous."


^
^
^
I respect your opinion, but I feel I have to offer a different view, as someone who has done that liver flush procedure over 12 times and had amazing results, especially the 1st and 5th times I did it, for whatever reason. The results were immediate and long lasting... I'll even go so far as to say it was one of the main things that changed my life on my long road from being at death's door to surviving, to getting closer and closer to thriving health.

I'm not saying it removes gallstones. I don't know what it does. It does remove something. My 5th flush a massive white "rock" came out of me... it was HUGE maybe like 1/2 a golf ball and very heavy. My lower back ached terribly as if there was a hole where this thing came from... and I felt this flowing energy inside of me, as if this huge blockage had been released.

People like to say the "rocks" are oil/salt but trust me if you'd seen this you would know that is not the case. I didn't even use the epsoms in some of my cleanses. Also, aside from that story I kept doing flushes, and after maybe flush 8, I never again got ANY sort of "stone", including those green ones that people say is the oil. So for me, that disproves any theory that says everything that comes out during a flush is just the potion you drink... by that logic everyone should get a similar amount of "stones" out every time... but most long term flushers cease to get stones.

After these cleanses my skin cleared remarkably (I have suffered from cystic acne all my life), my depression lifted and the most random of the improvements- my EYESIGHT. I used to need glasses as a teen and after doing the first series of flushes, maybe 1-6, my eyesight turned so perfect it's almost superhuman. How this liver flush would effect that, I don't know... I wasn't even anywhere near raw then, and things have only improved since working on my diet....

Liver cleanses are not ideal of course, IDEAL would be eating a perfect diet with all or mostly raw foods, whatever the perfect diet is for one's body... but obviously all of us were not born into perfect scenario's to support our health. I had a pretty rough start in life, healthwise, dietwise, all of it was just very bad... this cleanse helped me reverse some of that damage and start fresh.

So there you go, people can believe what they want about the liver flushes, but I won't see someone putting them down and calling them dangerous and what not without offering up my view... these flushes have helped so many people!

I have used them as well with good results though I didn't do as many as you ... I have thought of doing them again... which one in particular did you do? Did you do the parasite cleanse along with it? just wondering if it works with out it?
thank you for your story!

love laugh and dream

I've done many parasite cleanses, some prior to each liver cleanse and some on their own. I used to have a lot of problems with parasites and candida due to a severely compromised immunity when I was young. But since eating more raw and dropping all grain from my diet, I've been able to get my body more clean and alkaline and don't have to be constantly doing parasite cleanses now. Thank God!

It makes so much sense that the liver is strongly connected to the eyes!