Gallstones

When we think of Gallstones we think of the sudden painful attack. This ‘attack’ is caused by the movement of the stones into the bile ducts, where they have gotten stuck. My brother -in-law says it feels similar to labor pains, but then how can a man know that? Besides the pain many people experience nausea, vomiting, bloating or belching. Once you have had gallstones you are more at risk of getting them again.
There are many factors that come together to create gallstones. The stones themselves are made up of cholesterol and/or calcium. They accumulate in the gallbladder, which is what it sounds like, a bladder or holding tank for the bile (gall) the liver creates to help digest the fat you are eating. If you have high cholesterol and are eating a lot of fat you may be setting yourself up for problems.
Dr. Kristen Stiles, a naturopathic doctor at the Complementary Medicine and Healing Arts Center in Vestal, New York says the best prevention is to cut back on the fat and get more fiber in your diet. Ron Schneider, the founder of Enriching Gifts International would add that you need to increase your water intake. This is because if you are regularly flushing your system the small accumulations of cholesterol or calcium will be flushed out when they are still small, and not sit around to grow big enough to cause you discomfort.
There are a lot of things you can do to prevent gallstones, and some even work for a mild attack. If you are having an acute attack (read painful) then don’t hesitate to see your doctor. There are many things a doctor can do now to alleviate the problem. Once the crisis is over come back and read this for prevention of further problems. One of the things doctors have available now is a treatment with sonic shock waves that will break up the stones so they can pass more easily. The most invasive treatment is removal of the gallbladder. My daughter-in-law had that and was told she will have to watch her fat intake for the rest of her life. Whenever she eats a high fat meal it acts like a strong laxative, sending her to the bathroom within minutes. Needless to say she doesn’t eat fast food on a road trip.
Among the prevention for gallstones is plenty of water. Ron recommends drinking ½ your body weight measure in pounds in ounces of water. This means that if you weigh 200lbs you need to drink 100 ounces of water every day. Another tool in this toolbox will be Enriching Gifts Plant Enzymes. This is because the Enriching Gifts Plant Enzymes will help break down some of that fat, taking the strain off the liver and gallbladder.
A third tool in the toolbox is Enriching Gifts Sterol-Max. The wonderful thing about these plant sterols is that when taken with meals they block the absorption of fats. They do this by blocking the receptor sites for the fats. This won’t directly help the gallbladder, but will reduce the cholesterol level in the bloodstream, one of the factors for gallstone creation. Dr. Stiles suggests taking the herb Milk Thistle to help keep the bile moving. This goes along with drinking more fluids. A moving stream will not allow the stones to form.
A trick that Ron shares with his listeners is a process for getting gallstones to pass. This is for smaller stones that are still in the gallbladder, not for an acute attack. This process will take several days. Days 1-3 drink 8oz of apple juice before bed and again the next morning. On day 4 drink 5 ounces of Classic Coke from a can mixed with 6 ounces of Virgin Olive Oil and ½ ounce of lemon juice at bedtime. Then drink 10 ounces of Citrate of Magnesia. During this time don’t eat any fried or fatty foods. After you drink the Citrate of Magnesia the smaller stones are supposed to pass easily. Personally I haven’t had the problem, so I can’t tell you how well it works, but people on the phone call were swearing by it.
Sources:
Nature’s Medicines by Gale Maleskey and the Editors of Prevention Health Books, copyright 1999 by Rodale Inc.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White MD and Steven Foster, copyright 2000 by Rodale Press
(This information is not intended to serve as a prescription, or to diagnose, treat or replace the advice of your medical doctor. If you have any medical conditions or are taking prescription or non-prescription medications, consult your physician before altering or discounting the use of them.)