Gall Bladder Health
What Is It?
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped pouch situated beneath the liver. The main function of the gallbladder is to store bile which is produced by the liver. Bile helps to break down and digest the fats from the food we eat. When we eat fatty foods, it is the bile that is released from the gallbladder into the small intestine that emulsifies the fat.
The most common problem that occurs in the gallbladder is the formation of gallstones. A gallstone is a small, hard crystalline mass formed in the gallbladder or bile ducts from bile pigments, cholesterol and calcium salts. Gallstones can cause severe pain and blockage of the bile duct, sometimes resulting in the need to remove the gallbladder.
Cause and Effect
If you are suffering from pain on the right side of the body just below the ribs, in the back, or right shoulder and you are eating high fatty foods, you should make immediate changes to your diet.
It is generally thought that gallstones develop because of an imbalance in the chemical make-up of bile inside the gallbladder.
According to the NHS’ website, around four in every five gallstones is made up of cholesterol and around one in five is made up from bilirubin.
There is, however, a growing body of people who believe problems such as gallstones are caused by continually consuming an unhealthy diet.
Juice Pharmacy Recommendations
What to Avoid
Avoid overconsumption of meat and meat products, processed foods, high fatty foods, dairy foods, refined sugar, caffeine, white floured products such as bread, cakes, cereals and alcohol. Refined sugars in drinks and sweets, legumes and high animal fats should also be eliminated from a sufferer’s diet.
What to Include
It may be beneficial to start with a full body cleanse using one of the Juice Master juice programmes. Follow this with a healthy diet that includes 70-80 per cent raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Fruits and vegetables are more beneficial to the body when eaten raw, so juices made up from the above will make it much easier for your body’s natural healing process to function.
Essential fatty acids and vitamins C and E have a positive effect, so include foods that are high in these nutrients as well as oily fish, olive oil, coconut oil and avocado.
Almonds - Add just 1oz of almonds or cashews each week to a juice for added protection against developing gallstones. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Apples - A diet high in foods that will help flush out the system is recommended and apples are thought to be able to dissolve gallstones. Alfalfa, beetroot, broccoli, garlic, grapefruit, blackberry, lemons and spinach are also good for cleansing.
Dandelion root - This magic root has been shown to enhance the flow of bile, improving bile duct inflammation, hepatitis, gallstones and jaundice.
Fibre - Increasing your fibre intake with water soluble fibres contained in fruits and vegetables will help combat any future episodes of gallstones. There have been many nutritional clinical studies carried out on gallbladder disease showing an improvement in bile saturation with increased dietary fibre.
Lemon - D-limonene, a substance in lemons, is also used to dissolve gallstones, and the highest content of limonene is in the peel and white spongy inner parts of the fruit.
Radish - Diluted with another vegetable, radish can help with gallbladder inflammation. Radishes have a variety of chemicals which increase the flow of bile and are helpful in maintaining a healthy gallbladder.
Rowachol - The nutritional supplement Rowachol (a mixture of plant terpenes) has been shown to dissolve gallstones in several studies.
Turmeric - Clinical research has shown that curcumin (a substance found in turmeric) may help in the prevention and treatment of gallstones, by increasing solubility and stimulating gallbladder contraction.
Water - Drinking plenty of water each day is another easy way to help flush the system.
The Juice Recipes
Shot: The Beetroot Shot
1 Small Beetroot
½ Lemon
Juice and knock back in one juicy go!
Juice: Sweet Beet Smoothie - taken from Jason Vale’s 5-day Juice Challenge
1 Apple
2 Carrots
1 Beetroot
1 Large Handful of Blackberries
Juice the apple, carrots and beetroot and pour into a blender along with the berries and ice. Blend for a few seconds and enjoy.
Disclaimer
Please note, it is impossible to give a definitive list as what supports one person can be a trigger food or allergen for another. You must stay your own juice detective at all times and listen to how your own body responds to certain foods and always consult with your healthcare provider when making changes to your diet which may affect your medication. Please be aware that we are not doctors, so it is important to consult with your GP or medical practitioner BEFORE making any changes to your diet. The suggestions above are not meant as an alternative to any current medical treatment so please DO NOT stop taking any medications you are on. They are also not an endorsement of their effectiveness, or a recommendation that they should be followed but instead, are provided for informational purposes. None of the information on the Natural Juice Therapy site is intended or implied to treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease.