May 11, 2025

DIY Health #4

HI ,

Bile acid is like dish washing soap, breaking down fat globules and spreading them around. This makes it easy for fat-digesting enzymes (lipase) to reach the individual fat molecules and break them down into fatty acids and glycerol. With the help of bile, these free fatty acids form tiny hollow spheres called micelles, which are water-soluble. These micelles carry essential fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) across the gut wall and into the lymphatic system, where they are transported to the liver for further processing. Without bile acids, fats don’t break down and form these hollow balls that can be absorbed. A lack of bile can lead to deficiencies in these essential vitamins. 

Bile is a liver juice that’s constantly produced in small amounts. But we don’t eat fatty foods in tiny amounts all the time. We eat a lot of fat just a few times a day (usually). Since bile just slowly drips out of the liver, the body cleverly stores it in the gallbladder so it can squirt out just when needed. The gallbladder also concentrates the bile to make it a super-powerful detergent for those dietary fats. Bile also helps carry toxic waste out of the body. The liver is our main organ for detoxification. It breaks down all the poisons we ingest or form in the body into simpler components and excretes them into the bile to be carried out of the body when we poop. So bile is super important. So what symptoms might we experience if our liver/gallbladder bile-producing system isn’t working right?

Please circle the appropriate number or answer yes/no after each question below. 0 means the least/or never increasing up to 3 means most/or always

Biliary Insufficiency/Stasis

Greasy or high fat foods cause distress 0 1 2 3 

Lower bowel gas and or bloating

several hours after eating                       0 1 2 3 

Hemorrhoids                                           0 1 2 3 

Bitter metallic taste in mouth in the morning0 1 2 3 

Unexplained itchy skin                            0 1 2 3 

Yellowish cast to eyes                             0 1 2 3 

Stool color alternates from clay colored to brown 0 1 2 3 

Reddened skin, especially palms             0 1 2 3 

Dry or flaky skin and/or hair                     0 1 2 3 

History of gallbladder attacks or stones    0 1 2 3 

Have you had your gallbladder removed   No Yes

               Score _______

Liver detoxification – Do you have:

Acne and unhealthy skin?                         0 1 2 3

Excessive hair loss?                                  0 1 2 3

Overall sense of bloating?                         0 1 2 3

Bodily swelling for no reason?                   0 1 2 3

Hormone imbalances?                               0 1 2 3

Weight gain?                                              0 1 2 3 

Poor bowel function?                                  0 1 2 3

Excessively foul-smelling sweat?                0 1 2 3

                Score _______

Add up the scores of each section. Only add up the 2’s and 3’s – ignore the 1’s. Yes answers count as 3 points. A score of 6 or more indicates a need for action. 

How did you fare? If you had a high score and I saw you in the office, I’d check for an inflamed gallbladder by gently pressing on your abdomen, just below your right rib cage. As you breathe in, if you feel a sharp pain, it could be a sign of an inflamed gallbladder. Depending on your symptoms, you might need a medical consultation for a special X-ray. This X-ray involves swallowing a dye that helps doctors visualize your gallbladder, which is usually invisible on regular X-rays. During the X-ray, they’ll look for gallstones and check if the walls of your gallbladder are thickened. Usually, once the gallbladder reaches this stage, it stops functioning properly. Ellen had this issue, but she waited too long to have it removed, which caused several complications for her. My brother also had this problem and kept his gallbladder for many years, although it would flare up occasionally, causing severe pain. Eventually, he had to have it removed because it was no longer doing its job. He tried various methods, like gallbladder flushes with olive oil and lemon juice, followed by X-rays after the flush. However, these flushes didn’t show any changes in the number of gallstones, so they’re not effective. What appears to be stones passing through the stool are actually bits of soap formed from the olive oil used in the flush.   

So, what can we do if our gallbladder isn’t feeling well or our liver is congested? The main idea is to make the bile thinner. Herbs and foods that do this are called cholagogues. These will naturally clean out the liver and gallbladder, and can even dissolve gallstones in the early stages. Usually, it’s bitter herbs that have this property. Herbs like dandelion, beet leaf, artichoke leaf, barberry, yellow dock, turmeric, ginger, and peppermint are all good cholagogues. Personally, I take beet leaf capsules (A-F Betafood) when I want to clean out my liver. Foods that also thin out the bile are the bitter greens like dandelion greens, endive, and arugula. Lemons and radishes also help bile flow to aid digestion. One obvious thing needed to thin out the bile is water. If you’re dehydrated, then you don’t have the available water to do the thinning with.

If you’re looking to get the most out of your meal high in fats, start with a refreshing lemon water or peppermint tea. Pair it with a nice salad featuring some of those bitter greens. It’s no wonder we were taught to start our meals with a salad! While it’s generally not recommended to drink liquid during meals to avoid diluting stomach acid, you can still start with mint tea or lemon water. These beverages will pass through your stomach quickly, bypassing the digestive juices triggered by food. If you scored above 6 on the tests above, I suggest incorporating some cholagogue herbs into your diet. These herbs can help gradually cleanse your liver.

If you’ve already had your gallbladder removed, you’ve got a special need. Bile flow is essential, and gallbladders are a crucial part of it. If you don’t have a gallbladder, you’ll need to replace its function with bile supplements. Yes, you can buy bile pills to take with any meal that has significant fat content. Your doctor might have told you that you’re just fine without a gallbladder, but they’re mistaken. You can survive without it, but you won’t be healthy. Your body won’t absorb essential fats and fat-soluble vitamins properly. The slow, steady flow of bile from the liver just can’t do the job.

I hope this info helps you take better care of your liver and gallbladder. They’re key to good digestion. Remember, fueling your body with the right nutrients is the first step to a healthy you!

Take care,
 

David

Ellen

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