Gallbladder: The Liver’s Best Friend Posted on October 29, 2015

A few days ago I wrote my post about liver healing, so now let’s get into the liver’s partner: the gallbladder! The gallbladder seems to be something that no one talks about until it needs to be taken out. According to this article from Jon Barron: “Considering that gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) is now one of the most common surgeries in the world, with over a half million performed each year in the U.S. alone, that should be of interest to a number of people. In fact, roughly 20 million Americans suffer from gallstones, and 750,000 of them undergo cholecystectomies each year. There are 800,000 hospitalizations and $2 billion spent annually on gallbladder disease in the U.S. The bottom line is that gallbladder surgery pays for many boats for many doctors every year — and there are far better, less expensive ways to deal with the problem.” The gallbladder is a small organ that is located right under the liver. Its main purpose is to store and concentrate the bile that the liver produces. So when the liver is sluggish, our gallbladder cannot work efficiently. Gallstones apparently start in our livers, not our gallbladders. This happens when the cholesterol made in your liver is too thick and it sits too long in your gallbladder. This allows the cholesterol to crystallize- this issue effects about 600,000 people each year in the US alone! It seems that the underlying issue of gallbladder problems is a metabolic dysfunction in the liver. Conventional doctors seem to go straight to removing the gallbladder, but this clearly doesn’t address the underlying cause of WHY the gallbladder is not functioning. There are around 500,000 gallbladders removed each year in the United States! Pretty soon no one will have a gallbladder! I’m not as well-versed in gallbladder health as I am in liver health, but it seems that the 2 truly are interconnected. From that same Jon Barron article that I quoted above: “It is important to understand that problems with the gallbladder rarely stem from the gallbladder itself. They stem from the liver, which if not functioning properly will manufacture bile that is prone to “stoning.” Thus removing the gallbladder does not eliminate the problem; it merely eliminates ONE place problems can manifest.” How to Heal the Gallbladder If you are just looking for ways to help out your gallbladder, your best bet is to start helping out your liver with gentle, nourishing ways that I talk about in this post. If you are in dire need of healing your gallbladder and possible facing surgery, I think that it *may* be an option to try a liver/gallbladder flush. I know of many people that do these flushes, but I have not tried one myself ( I am not against them, I just prefer to nourish and support instead of flush things out!). Something like the Hulda Clark flush is what I have seen most people find success with. This article from Jon Barron also has information about gallbladder flushes. Taurine is one of the most crucial nutrients for the gallbladder (and liver). Taurine is most important for helping the body create bile. Read more about taurine in my post here. The other main nutrients needed for gallbladder health include magnesium, sodium, iodine, sulfur, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. Herbs like milk thistle and dandelion are great for liver and gallbladder health. There are also some homeopathic remedies that can be used to help stimulate the gallbladder. Supplements like bile salts and ox bile can be helpful, especially for those that had their gallbladder removed already. And my favorite liver remedy, castor oil packs, are also perfect for gallbladder health.:) If you have any more tips on healing the gallbladder, let us know in the comments! Read more about gallbladder health here: The Gallbladder Gallbladder, Gallstones, and Sludge (Disclaimer! I am not a doctor, so what I write about on this blog is for informational purposes. I think it is important to take charge of your own health, but it is also important to use caution and research things on your own, as well as work with a knowledgeable practitioner. If you do anything suggested in this article, you are taking responsibility for your own health and wellness) About Kristin I've been on the natural healing journey for about 4 years now. I am on the path to get my degree in clinical nutrition, and hopefully to get my doctorate after that. I love to help others realize that they have the potential to heal themselves! Disclaimer- I am not a doctor so if you are suffering from an illness, I would advise you to seek out a licensed health professional before embarking on any suggestions I make. The suggestions on this website are just for informational purposes only and by choosing any of the natural remedies discussed here, you will be taking responsibility for your own health and wellness View all posts by Kristin →