You have a lot of gall! Building a long-term relationship with your gallbladder
In relationships, as in life, it is common to take for granted those things that are working well. The gallbladder is often ignored until something goes terribly wrong. Toiling away behind the scene, the noble gallbladder is often misunderstood, and routinely suffers an unexpected and calamitous breakup- SURGERY!
Could this drama be spared with the right combination of diet, stress reduction, and a health supportive lifestyle? If you are struggling in your relationship with your gallbladder, don’t worry, you are not alone! Over the past decade, gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) has become one of the most common elective abdominal surgeries in the United States.
What’s so GREAT about the gallbladder anyway? If so many people are living without their gallbladder, do we really need it? You might feel that you’d be better off without that gallbladder. If you are among those who have been through a “painful breakup,” yet you continue to experience digestive difficulty, diarrhea, weight gain, pain, and inflammation, can you still be helped?
While it is true that our body can adapt to the loss of our gallbladder, it does so by placing a burden on another organ or system. To understand the importance of the gallbladder, we first need to understand the importance of bile. Bile emulsifies fats in our digestive tract, like the dish soap that cuts grease in your sink. This makes fat available to be used for vital functions like hormone production, brain function and cellular structure. Not only does our gallbladder store bile, it also concentrates it, making it more effective. In the absence of a gallbladder, your liver still produces bile, but with no place to be concentrated, it will be less effective in emulsifying fats. Bile also regulates the pH in the intestines, neutralizing stomach acid as it enters the small intestine. Efficient use of fats assists blood sugar regulation, helping us avoid the blood sugar spikes caused by the digestion of carbs. Deficiencies of fat soluble vitamins can lead to problems like impaired vision, cognitive decline, hormone and emotional imbalances, and compromised tissue integrity.
The truth is, we rarely have to live with painful and debilitating health problems. What we often ignore is the root cause: what has gone wrong in the first place. Why have we seen such an increase in this health issue, and what can be done? Stress is one problem. Persistent stress shuts down our digestive processes via the “fight or flight” instinct. The effects of prolonged stress cascade from the inhibition of stomach enzymes that trigger bile to be released further down the digestive tract, to overconcentration of bile, making it thick and sticky like tar. Diet has a huge impact on gallbladder health. Hydrogenated fats, and other processed foods are contributing factors.
It is important to remember that there are proven methods to improve your gallbladder health, and keep this important relationship intact. Before you break up: talk to a qualified natural health care practitioner who can give you practical nutritional and treatment advice.
•••
Kristina Allred holds a Master of Science degree in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, is a Licensed Acupuncturist, and is board certified in acupuncture by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She has extensive experience in nutrition as well as herbal medicine. Kristina is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements at Vital Health in Coeur d’ Alene. Visit our website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Kristina, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Kristina can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.