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patPatricia Naeder, RN, BS.

Pat Naeder

    

August, 2011 Edition ew3


GALLBLADDER  HEALTH  INFORMATION  PART 1

    

Your gall bladder is an amazing organ attached to your liver that metabolizes your fat intake. As food goes by in your intestinal duodenum the gallbladder senses the fats and squeezes out bile to break down and digest fats.

When the bile becomes overloaded with saturated fats from a high fat diet, and from toxins such as alcohol and too much coffee, problems arise.  The thickened toxic bile then inflames the gallbladder. The thickened bile and is referred to as sludge. The gallbladder becomes inflamed and can have fluid collection around it. This condition is called cholycystitis. Normally the bile is not that thick or infected with toxins.

The second problem that arises is that cholesterol particles begin to form and grow. They turn into little “stones”  These stones are called cholylithiasis.

Then one day when the gallbladder is doing it’s job squeezing and dispersing bile into the duodenum the cholesterol stones get kicked up through the already thickened bile and into the common bile duct and get stuck. This causes a cascade of severe pain.

The pain travels out through an elaborate network of nerve branches that can be in the area below the ribs in the front to running around the torso in the rib area making it feel like a 12 inch rubber band is squeezing your ribs & back.

It can also runs around to your entire back and especially up to the shoulder blades. The spasms are unrelenting and the pain can be unbearable and after a few hours usually sends the person to the ER for immediate relief.

Nausea and vomiting can accompany this cascade of symptoms. Better not to eat at this time.

The cholesterol stones are to large, and the ducts are too small for the stones to to pass through. Eventually the stones can fall back into the gallbladder providing immediate relief.

If the gallbladder inflammation becomes too prolonged and the stone remains impacted the gallbladder can rupture causing a medical emergency. Infection of the abdomen causes peritonitis which can be life threatening. It is usually treated with antibiotics and the removal of the ruptured gallbladder.

The common bile duct is then re-routed and the bile that is created by the liver then drips into the intestinal duodenum to deal with the fats.

What can you do besides surgery? Change your diet and supplements immediately.

1-  Diet Eliminate fatty and fried foods. Cut out trans fats, butter, margarine, sausage, cold cuts (pressed fats) & saturated fats. Read all  labels and do not eat anything that says hydrogenated fats. Eat essential fatty acids instead such as flaxseed. Sprinkle them into your yogurt. Delicious!

2-  Try not to eat canned goods or processed foods in packages.

3-  Focus on eating whole foods from the produce aisle. Eat fresh vegetables and fruit.

4-  Eat lean meats such as veal. Eat cold water fish & sardines for their healthy Omega 3 content. Eat chicken, etc. for protein. Don’t eat fatty meats where the fat is solid when it stands at room temperature.   

5-  Cut back on fatty dairy choosing fat free yogurt, milk and cheese instead.

6-  For calcium intake look toward green leafy veggies. Kale is king. It is sweet eaten raw, especially the stem. You can pop it into the toater oven or reg oven and make kale chips. Don’t knock it until you try it. Sprinkle it with one of the anti-oxidant spices like cumin.

PREDISPOSING FACTORS:

1-  Gallbladder issues tend to run in families

2-  Gallbladder issues have been associated with low functioning thyroid (hypothyroid)

3-  Obesity is associated with gallbladder disease

 

EAT FOODS & SUBSTANCES THAT THIN YOUR BILE & REDUCE INFLAMMATION.  Best taken in naturally. Supplements can be used instead where practical.

1-   Beets

2-   Artichokes

3-   Apple cider vinegar

4-   Blueberries

5-   Fennel.

6-   Ginger fresh grated on everything

7-   Peppermint leaf

8-   Citrus fruit. (Squeeze lemon into your club soda)

9-   Cranberry

10- Cumin

11- Pineapple

12- Hibiscus tea

13- Honey

14- Lysine, an essential amino acid. It converts fatty acids into energy, helping to lover cholesterol.

15- Magnesium. Inhibits stone formation by raising the body’s Ph. It is also a relaxant which is why it is used to lower blood vessels by relaxing them. Mabnesium also regulates calcium, which balances the bodies mineral levels which is important for healthy bile flow.

16- Try to keep your body to the alkaline side. Drink seltzer with lemon or lime or orange. These citrus fruits may strike you as acid, but in the body they turn alkaline.

17- Milk Thistle has been used for over 2,000 years mainly for the treatment of gallbladder & liver disorders. Thins the bile and inhibits stone formation. Take is low doses.

18- Drink non- sweetened juices which throws your body into an alkaline state.

19- Eat foods with potassium. Don’t overdue.

20- Plants contain phytosterols that control cholesterol levels. Eat your veggies. 50% of every meal should be veggies.

21- Vitamin C is one of the essential vitamins. It is a cofactor in 8 enzymatic reactions. It reduces bacterial and viral infection and lowers histamine release. It is effective in dissolving stones and blocking cholesterol within the gallbladder.

22- Zinc is a catalyst in about 100 enzyme reactions such as ^ immune function. We don’t store zinc. So taking it once in a while is a good idea. Look for foods with it.

23- B vitamins are essential for gallbladder health.

 

 

1-  Stop smoking!  The latest research shows that smoking inflames every blood vessel in every organ of your body. We cannot stay healthy with that pathophysiology going on.

 

2-  So use the lozenges that melt in your mouth to ease yourself off of smoking.

 

Good Health to You!

 

Patricia Naeder, RN, BS

Medical Advisor

 

This column is for informational purposes only, and represents the opinion, and reporting of the author only. Any discussions with the Author should be presented to your own personal Physician for his/her Professional opinion. It is not meant to substitute for seeing one's own Medical Doctor, Psychiatrist, or Psychologist for Professional care.

This article is copywrited by the Author.