Gallstones are one of the most unpredictable conditions there is. Gallstones are rock-hard-structures that can be as tiny as a pea or as big as a golf ball. They can sit there and not cause you any trouble or they can impede the bile duct and become swollen, which can lead to severe pain in the upper right abdomen. In addition to the pain, you’ll also experience fever, nausea, and vomiting.
This condition is nothing to take lightly. Gallbladder disease can be life threatening if left untreated. If a gallstone blocks the bile ducts, it can cause your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn yellow with jaundice as well as turn your urine dark brown.
Bile is a yellowish substance that the body uses to help with the digestion of fat. It is produced by the liver and consists of bile salts, cholesterol and lecithin. It is stored in the gallbladder, which is a small organ settled under the liver. Gallstones form when the bile in the gallbladder becomes too concentrated, which causes the cholesterol to crystallize. For the most part, about eighty percent of all gallstones consist of cholesterol; however, they can also be made up of pure bile or mixtures of bile, calcium and cholesterol.
Women are more prone to gallbladder disease than men are. According to statistics, 1 out of every 4 women over the age of 55 has gallstones. Also, being overweight puts you at an extra risk of developing gallstones. In fact, if you’re more than twenty percent overweight, your risk of developing gallbladder disease is doubled. In addition, you’re also at risk if you consume a high-fat and high-sugar diet, quick weight loss, not enough exercise, hypertension, estrogen replacement therapy and diabetes. The Native American community is also at high risk.
If you’re someone that suffers from chronic gallbladder disease, surgery to remove the gallbladder may be necessary. The surgical procedure is known as a cholecystectomy. However, you can control the disease by making some simple lifestyle and dietary changes as well as the use of nutritional supplements.
All-natural gallstone treatment
- Protect against gallstone formation by taking milk thistle. Take six hundred milligrams (standardized to seventy to eighty percent silymarin content).
- Help dissolve gallstones with peppermint. Take one to two capsules (0.2 milliliters oil per capsule) three times a day between meals.
- Reduce the risk of gallstone formation withpsyllium. It helps prevent gallstone formation by helping to lower cholesterol. Take five grams psyllium daily, in divided doses.
- Help prevent gallstones as well as cholesterol buildup with lecithin. You can purchase lecithin in granule and capsule form at your local health food store; follow the directions on the package.
- Gallstones can be a result of a vitamin C Take five hundred to one thousand milligrams three times a day.
- Help prevent fat from becoming rancid by taking vitamin E. Take two hundred to four hundred IU daily.
- Enhance the function of your liver and gallbladder with dandelion. Dandelion is very rich in lecithin, which helps to reduce cholesterol. You can use the commercially available capsules and follow the product directions.
Tips on how to prevent gallstones
The best way to prevent gallstones is to eat a high fiber low fat diet. In addition, reduce the amount of sugar and cholesterol you consume. Also, stop smoking and stay away from people that do. You should also find a way to exercise regularly. Try to maintain your ideal weight and stay away from crash diets as well as rapid weight loss programs that can cause gallstones.
Gallbladder disease symptoms
The majority of people with gallbladder disease experience classic symptoms of bloating, gas, digestive distress and nausea. These symptoms are more prevalent after a fatty meal. Nonetheless, some people may not notice any symptoms until they experience the agonizing pain on the right side of the abdomen as a result of passing a gallstone. Therefore, if you experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, contact your doctor immediately so that he or she can rule out appendicitis or any other serious illness.
