Gall Bladder Health
I thought it would be a good idea to discuss the function of the gall bladder as a follow-up to last month's newsletter on liver health. The gall bladder is the holding tank for bile produced in the liver used for processing fats and oils in our diet.
The thing that leads many people to have their gall bladder removed is the build up of gall stones. Gall stones happen when the bile produced in the liver sits longer and gets hardened before it can be passed out of the gall bladder to be used for it emulsification purposes.
Top factors that contribute to the hardening of the bile
A diet that is too high in fat or oxidized oils (hydrogenated oils and oils used at too high heat beyond their heat point)
Allergies and food sensitivities to dairy and eggs can lead to the production of gall stones. An egg-free trial period of several months could be worthwhile if experiencing issues with gall bladder and trouble digesting fats. Ingestion of allergy inducing substances causes swelling in the bile duct which impairs bile flow from the gall bladder. Reduced flow increases gall stone formation.
Low stomach acid. If food leaving the stomach isn't sufficiently acidified it won't trigger the gall bladder to release bile which leads the decrease of bile excretion. Which affects secretion of hormone CCK.
Too little fiber affects our ability to release bile and exacerbates the ability to create gall stones.
Stress: bodies that are in fight or flight mode have shut down digestion which can lead to reduced secretion of bile leaving it to concentrate in gall bladder and form stones.
Poor and impaired liver function can lead to the production of stones and there's more correlation between occurrence of hypothyroidism and gall stone formation.
Symptoms of gall bladder problems or gall bladder attack
moderate to severe pain under right side of rib cage
pain that radiates to back or right shoulder
severe upper abdomen pain that called billiary colic
nauseousness
queasiness
vomiting
gas
belching
Attacks generally happen at night after over eating or meals with high fats or grease. Pain often worsens with inhalation. These attacks can last from 15 minutes to 15 hrs and are really painful.
Pain can lead to the quick fix of gall bladder removal. It is the most frequently performed surgery in America. Half a million gall bladders are removed each year. The problem with this scenario is that the gall bladder isn't the culprit. The gall bladder is not responsible for the stones. The diet and the health of the liver are.
Removing the gall bladder will not solve the underlying problem. It eliminates symptoms but only temporarily. Removing the gall bladder trades one problem for others. We see the liver become more compromised. Gall bladder has a regulating effect on bile secretion. Once the gall bladder is removed there is a continuous dumping into the intestinal tract when it's not needed and only minimal amounts when it is needed. This can result in digestive disturbances and nutritional deficiencies.
If interested in learning more about a functional medicine approach to gall bladder health click the learn more button to listen to the podcast, Functional Medicine Secretes to Heal Disease with Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. George Papanicolaou.
* information on gall bladder is adapted from the Functional Nutrition Alliance Liver bonus.
