Man experiencing discomfort in his gallbladder
Your gallbladder plays a big role when it comes to healthy digestion. Perhaps someone close to you has undergone a cholecystectomy - a surgery to have his/her gallbladder removed. While it is possible to live without the small organ after surgery, the body needs it to in order to promote a strong, healthy digestive system. Here are some facts to know about gallbladder function and things you can do for natural support.
Located directly beneath your liver, the gallbladder is actually partially blocked by that organ. As you can probably imagine, the liver and gallbladder work very closely together to efficiently remove toxins from your body.
The liver produces bile that helps break down fat into fatty acids, helping the body rid itself of toxins. You might think of the gallbladder as a warehouse for all that bile. When the digestive system needs bile to break down fat, the gallbladder goes to work, secreting the substance into the small intestine.
Poor diet can cause excess cholesterol to accumulate in one’s gallbladder, causing bile to build up into small crystals called gallstones, or cholelithiasis. While between 80-90% of individuals with gallstones have no symptoms, others could have an acute gallbladder “attack”. This is an intense abdominal pain that is also called biliary colic, and it occurs when gallstones become backed up in the cystic duct. [1] Sometimes, when those gallstones block the cystic duct, you’re left with gallbladder inflammation, also known as cholecystitis. [2] Your gallbladder could actually become smaller because of these constant attacks, becoming more and more sluggish and eventually even rupturing. While gallstones and inflammation are no small matters, gallbladder polyps — benign or malignant — and cancer are two very serious health issues. Unfortunately, these two issues are usually only diagnosed because of other medical issues, making it all the more important to monitor and support gallbladder health. [3] [4]
Because obesity is believed to worsen gallbladder issues, something as simple as changing your diet can do wonders for gallbladder function. [5] Eating low-fat and low-cholesterol choices is a great idea to help keep your ideal body weight. While is hard to do, avoiding meat, coffee, soda, and products high in sugar is one of the most effective ways to support your gallbladder.
A high-fiber diet also helps with gallbladder health, but it’s important to ease into such foods as these after gallbladder surgery. For some, these foods can cause initial discomfort. Stick to the same low-fat, low-cholesterol diet mentioned above, and, remember to exercise.
In addition to a gallbladder diet, you can also support this organ by cleansing, helping with toxin removal. Besides cleansing your colon, performing a liver and gallbladder cleanse can be important for naturally supporting gallbladder function. Liver Health can help support both your liver and gallbladder!
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