Dr. Mercola: 5 Tips if You've Had Gallstones Or Your Gallbladder Removed

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Five Important Tips if You've Had Gallstones or Your Gallbladder

Removed

 

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

with Rachael Droege

 

The New York Times regional newspaper interviewed me recently about

gallbladders and I thought it would be useful to review this common

problem. I have seen many hundreds of patients who have had their

gallbladders removed and I don't recall anyone ever telling me that

their surgeon advised them to do something to compensate for

removing this important organ.

 

Just about every one of them was told they didn't need their

gallbladder and that it was perfectly fine to have it removed. This

is reprehensible ignorance as it condemns the patient to a lifelong

deficiency of essential fatty acids.

 

Why? Because after your liver produces bile, which emulsifies fats

for improved fat digestion, half of it goes to the small intestine,

and the other half is stored in the gallbladder until it's needed.

 

About 500,000 gallbladders are removed each year in the United

States, typically due to gallstones, which affect about 15 percent

of Americans. Gallstones form when bile is in the gallbladder too

long and it collects and settles. Although most gallstones dissolve

naturally and produce no symptoms, if one ignores warning symptoms

and does not address the reasons why their gallbladder is not

functioning properly, then the disease can progress to the point

where the pancreas is inflamed or the gallbladder is seriously

infected and may have to be removed to save a person's life.

 

Signs of Gallbladder Disease

 

If you have any of the following symptoms then your gallbladder may

not be functioning properly:

 

Pain when pressing on the gallbladder, which is directly under the

last rib on the right on the same plane as one's nipple. This is

usually due to gallbladder " sludge " (thick bile).

 

Stone on a gallbladder ultrasound.

 

Greasy stools that are loose and tend to float to the top of the

toilet bowl. This indicates improper fat absorption.

 

Treatment Methods

 

As I said in my interview, regular exercise is one of the best

things you can do to address gallbladder dysfunction. This is a

great proactive prevention step but most people don't worry about

their gallbladder until they have a problem. Unfortunately, by that

time exercise alone is not going to cut it.

 

At that time a gallbladder flush may provide some relief and once

the symptoms abate an aggressive cardiovascular exercise program can

serve to permanently improve the gallbladder.

 

It is also imperative that you clean up your diet. One has to stop

eating sugars, reduce or eliminate the grains and eliminate all

fluids but water. You can consult my nutrition plan to make sure

you're eating enough healthy foods.

 

Further, the gallbladder is frequently infected when it is diseased

so large amounts of high-quality probiotics will also be helpful in

correcting the problem.

 

What to do if You've had Your Gallbladder Removed

 

High-quality fats--especially omega-3 fats--are essential for good

health and if you don't have a gallbladder you will have an impaired

ability to absorb them. Trying to digest fat without bile is like

trying to wash greasy dishes without soap--it doesn't work very

well. If your gallbladder is removed then you need to compensate by

providing an increased level of fat digestive enzymes (lipase) to

compensate for this.

 

Unless you receive a gallbladder transplant, which is unlikely, then

you'll need to continue taking the enzymes for the rest of your life

to ensure that fats can be absorbed and used by the body for their

many important functions.

 

 

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Regular Exercise May Prevent Gallstone Surgery