Keep Your Gallbladder Healthy Naturally
Recently I had a friend who had gallstones and said it was one of the most painful experiences she ever had. Hopefully this will help to prevent others from having gallstones or other related problems.
The Gallbladder and What It Does
The gallbladder is that small pouch nestled behind the lobes of the liver. Pear-shaped, the gallbladder is responsible for storing bile that is being secreted by the liver. As you must know bile is what aids the body in digesting fats. If the gallbladder becomes unable to store fats, the ability of the body to digest fats is compromised.
Predisposing Factors to Gallbladder Problems
Unfortunately, the gallbladder can also be prone to ill health. Diabetes, pregnancy, liver disease, obesity, lack of exercise, a diet rich in fats, and anemia can predispose you to certain gallbladder problems.
The Symptoms
You will know if you have gallbladder problems if you experience pain in your abdomen. The pain is usually acute or intermittent in nature. You are also likely to experience nausea, a feeling of fullness especially after meals, gas pains, and indigestion. There may be yellowing of the skin, too, and constipation. Skin breakouts, such as acne and other skin lesions, may likewise occur. There could also be intolerance to fats.
The Cure
Fortunately, there are several home treatments you can use, and you will be surprised to know that some of them involve basic garden and pantry items.
Beets are said to be effective in treating gallbladder problems. A body cleanser, the juice of fresh beets, if combined with the juice of fresh carrots and cucumber, and taken twice a day, can effectively improve gallbladder health. Pear juice, too, can be used to treat certain gallbladder problems, including gallstones. Pear juice can be taken as often as possible.
Chicory juice facilitates bile secretion, and thus helps much in maintaining good liver and gallbladder health.
Accordingly, taking 30 ml of olive oil followed by 120 ml of lemon or grapefruit juice early in the morning for as long as necessary works for some people.
Recent studies correlate regular drinking of coffee to gallstone prevention, although it has not been made clear yet what is the special ingredient in coffee that reduces incidence of gallstones.
Having a diet rich in fiber can also prevent the occurrence of gallstones. It is therefore recommended that you eat cereals or other fiber-rich foods for breakfast. Skipping this very important meal of the day is a definite no-no if you want to achieve a healthy gallbladder. There have been reports of people getting more prone to gallstones and other gallbladder diseases when they skip breakfast.
Having an abundance of lentils, beans, nuts, and oranges in the diet can also help ward off gallstones, so is eating red bell better, salmon, and vegetables.
As they say, prevention is always better than cure, so if you want to avoid getting sick of gallstones, avoid taking in too much fats and sugar, always include fiber, fruits, and vegetables in your diet, and exercise. Remember that a sedentary lifestyle puts you at greater risk for developing gallstones, so engage in activities that keep your blood pumping. Obesity is likewise a predisposing factor to gallbladder problems, and exercising regularly can help you deal achieve a trim and balanced figure as well.
You have some good information here on preventing gallstones and because I have a family history I am going to include some of the foods you suggested in my diet. I will also make sure I have enough fiber in my diet. Thanks for the post.
Comment by Paulineh — December 5, 2009 @ 7:24 am