Eating fat doesn’t cause gallstones. So for all of us who have been told to eat a low fat diet for gallbladder health, that is the exact opposite of what you need to do. Most stones are made out of cholesterol, but that isn’t because of the cholesterol you eat, it is because there isn’t enough bile in the gallbladder. Saturated fat is actually what stimulates the production of bile, and bile deficiency is the cause of gallstones. Therefore, without saturated fat in the diet, gallstones will form.
What is Bile?
Bile is a fluid made in the liver, and concentrated by 20 times in the gallbladder. Bile helps break down fat in the body to small fatty acids, and also helps detoxification by breaking down chemicals and toxins in the body. Furthermore, it is used to help you extract the fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids out of food. Then the pancreas releases enzymes to break it down even more.
Bile is the detergent to break down fats. It is the substance that prevents gallstones, because it is breaking down the substances that would be creating the stones. It further disposes excess cholesterol.
If you have had your gallbladder taken out, then you are deficient of bile even more, as you don’t have that sack to hold the bile. So, if you have had your gallbladder taken out because you were deficient in bile, which caused your gallstones in the first place, and now you don’t have a gallbladder, you will become even more deficient in bile. This may lead to low absorption of fatty acids and fat-soluble nutrients, like DHA or fish oil.
Signs of Bile Deficiency:
- Bloating, burping, and belching
- Gas
- Nauseousness
- Indigestion
- Constipation
- Not feeling satisfied from eating
- Cravings for fried foods or sugar
- Itchy skin, hives or itchy eyes
- Vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to depression
- Vitamin A deficiency, which can lead to dry eyes or eye health issues and sinus issues
- Right shoulder pain: it pushes on a nerve that goes up the right side of the body
- Pain on right side in your trapezius
- Headaches on right side: 80 percent of headaches are related to the gallbladder
- Vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to depression
- Vitamin A deficiency, which can lead to dry eyes or eye health issues and sinus issues
- Vitamin E malnutrition, which can lead to heart issues and loss of endurance, pituitary issues especially after menopause, and retinal degeneration
- Vitamin K deficiency, which can lead to bloody noses and bone health issues
What Causes Gallstones?
Low level of Bile.
The main cause of gallstones is bile deficiency. When you lack bile, you don’t have the detergent to break down the fat or cholesterol in the liver and stones are accumulated. The bile keeps the stones from forming and disposes of the excess cholesterol from the liver. It is also needed to help with vitamin and nutrient absorption. The stones are clumps of cholesterol. The cholesterol stones don’t come from a high fat diet, they come from a high carb diet! All of the causes of gallstones are actually causes of low bile production, which then in turn cause gallstones.
The 7 Main Causes of Low Bile Production:
High levels of Estrogen.
1. High levels of Estrogen. This can increase stones because it decreases bile. From HRT, pregnancy, birth control, and soy.
2. High Cortisol. Stress increases your cortisol and decreases bile. This includes medications like Steroids.
3. High Insulin. This decreases bile. This comes from frequent eating and high carbs. When you combine high carbs with high fat, or high protein with high sugar, your risk of stones increases exponentially. High fat with low carb diet isn’t an issue.
4. Low Fat Diet or Vegan Diets. They don’t have enough saturated fat to trigger the production of bile. It is the saturated fat that helps produce bile.
5. Fatty Liver. This comes from a high insulin and high sugar diet. If you have a fatty liver and the function of the liver is compromised, then you won’t be able to make sufficient amounts of bile. If the liver is only functioning 50%, then you will only be able to make 50% of the needed bile. If you have a protruding gut, then you have a fatty liver.
6. Anti-Acids. They disrupt the ability to make bile and to use bile. Most people take anti-acids because they think they have too much acid, but actually acid reflux and heartburn are caused by low stomach acid. When you don’t have enough, the valve doesn’t close and the acid comes up. Stomach acid is one of the triggers to tell the gallbladder to release bile. This creates a dysfunctional gallbladder.
7. Not Enough Vegetables. If you aren’t eating enough vegetables, then you won’t have enough to feed the microbes in you large intestines to manifest enough microbes to recycle the bile. 95% of the bile is recycled by the microbes in your gut.
What Can You Do Get Rid of Gallstones?
Intermittent Fasting. This will lower insulin and blood sugar, and increase stomach acid to break down the foods you eat.
Keto. Again, this will lower insulin and blood sugar, increase stomach acid, increase bile production with the saturated fats.
Bile salts. As you are naturally increasing bile, you can take bile salts to help break down the fats and prevent more gallstones.
Gb-6. Relieves pathogenic elements that contribute to acute gallbladder colic and helps dissolve gallstones. Relieves chronic gallbladder inflammation with indigestion, nausea, and discomfort in the flanks, epigastrium, or abdomen. GB-6 also helps in preventing stones in the urinary system. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, it clears stagnant liver qi, clears damp heat from the liver and gallbladder, and moves the blood.
Do a Liver Flush. The Liver Flush consists of a combination of Livrol Forte and malic acid that starts softening the stones over a two-week period. You then take the Accelerated Cellular Detox® to soak up toxins and cleanse the bowels while eating real food. On the last day during the Flush your body expels all of the stones out of the liver and gallbladder. Your metabolism increases, your liver function improves significantly, the whites of your eyes get whiter and your physical and mental energy increases.
Sara Banta
Sara Banta is a Stanford University Graduate with a Degree in Economics and Psychology, and a certified Natural Supplement Expert & Graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Sara is the Founder of Accelerated Health Products and host of the health & wellness podcast, Accelerated Health Radio.