Why Gallbladder Surgery Never Really Solves the Problem

Every year in the United States, over 700,000 people get an important part of their digestive system removed. Cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal, is often billed as a permanent solution for gallstones. That solution comes at a high cost, because the gallbladder is an essential part of the digestive system.  Without it, things just don’t work quite right.

Bile produced in the gallbladder is especially important for breaking down fat, so the typical solution from doctors who think fat is unhealthy has been an ultra low-fat diet. But there’s just one problem with this: high fat diets don’t cause gallstones or any other gallbladder problems, and low-fat diets are not a solution.

What is the problem then, if fat isn’t to blame? For starters, sugar has something to do with it: one study found, obesity and a high-carb diet both independently contributed to gallstones. Genetics also play a role, and various groups of people are more likely to suffer from stones (for example, they’re more common in women than in men). And in fact, a low-fat diet can even contribute to forming gallstones. 

Your gallbladder is an organ that stores bile, a fluid that helps you digest fat. When you eat a nice, fatty meal, your gallbladder releases the stored bile, which breaks down the fat so that your other fat-digesting enzymes can do their job.  Unfortunately, if you never eat a nice fatty meal, the bile just sits around in the gallbladder getting more and more concentrated. Eventually, cholesterol and other substances start to collect and form painful gallstones. That’s why a very low-fat diet can actually make gallstones worse – and why a diet rich in healthy fat can help prevent them.

What happens when you don’t have a gallbladder?

Your liver continues to manufacture bile, but there is no longer a place to store it or concentrate it.  Therefore bile continually slowly trickles into the intestines.  If you eat a fatty meal, you will not be able to secrete a large enough amount of bile into your intestines, therefore the fat will be poorly digested.  This means many people experience diarrhea, bloating, nausea or indigestion.

Not digesting fat well means you will not be able to digest essential fatty acids, including omega 3 and omega 6 fats.  It also means you’ll have a hard time absorbing fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E, A and K.  A lot of the antioxidants in vegetables are fat soluble: lycopene, lutein and carotenoids are all fat soluble.  If you don’t produce adequate bile, you will not be adequately absorbing these life saving compounds from foods.  If you take any of the above mentioned nutrients in supplement form, without sufficient bile you will sadly not absorb them well.

How to have a healthy liver and good digestion without a gallbladder

First of all it’s important to realise that you developed a gallbladder problem in the first place because you had an unhealthy liver.  If your liver is not healthy, it will make poor quality bile.  The bile will be prone to forming sludge and stones.  Just removing the gallbladder doesn’t solve that problem, and in fact sludge and stones can form within the liver, compromising its function.

Here are some vital tips to follow:

• Keep your intake of dairy products and grains to a minimum or avoid them altogether.  Dairy products (milk, cheese, ice-cream, yoghurt) worsen all cases of gallbladder disease, liver disease and they are very difficult to digest.  Food intolerance is a common cause of gallbladder problems, and there is research that links gluten intolerance with gallstones.  A good reason to keep your intake of grains low is to reduce the risk of developing a fatty liver.  

• Take a good quality liver tonic such as Livatone.  The herbs St Mary’s thistle, dandelion root and globe artichoke leaves all increase bile production and bile flow.  Taurine is an amino acid necessary for bile production.  This should help to make you feel more comfortable after a meal, and should reduce the risk of stones forming inside your liver.

• Take an ox bile supplement.  This is the most important recommendation for people who have lost their gallbladder.  A lack of bile can produce symptoms such as bloating and indigestion after meals, light colored stools, diarrhea, fatigue after meals and nutrient deficiencies.  Taking a good quality ox bile supplement with each meal is wonderful for completely eliminating these symptoms in most individuals.

• Eat some good fats and avoid the bad fats.  Your doctor may have recommended you follow a low fat diet after having your gallbladder removed.  This is not necessary and in fact, can be harmful.  Your body desperately needs good fats and I recommend you include moderate quantities of extra virgin olive oil, avocados, coconut milk and oil, nuts and seeds in your diet.

• You may need a vitamin D3 supplement.  People with compromised liver or digestive function are often vitamin D deficient.  Exposure of your skin to the sun’s UVB rays enables your body to manufacture vitamin D.  However, this process occurs in your liver and kidneys.  People with a sluggish liver often do not manufacture vitamin D adequately.  Therefore it’s a good idea to get a blood test  before you begin this supplement, but 5000 IU of vitamin D3 is a safe and effective dose for most people.

• Include some bitter and sour foods in your diet.  They should help to improve your digestion and make it easier to tolerate good fats in your diet.  Suitable bitter and sour foods include lemons, limes, radicchio lettuce, chicory, endive and dandelion leaves.  

Why You Need Your Gallbladder

Your digestive system needs bile to aid in the break-down of fats. Not having enough bile to emulsify fats is like trying to wash greasy dishes without soap. 

It is nutritional ignorance that proliferates the idea that removing the gallbladder is harmless, however.

In fact, the constant presence of bile will eventually result in increased risks of other issues over time, namely pancreatitis and colon cancer.

If You Still Have Your Gallbladder

You might be surprised to learn that enough scientific evidence exists to affirm that exercise is the most effective method for preventing gallbladder problems. It is not sufficient, though, to simply take a leisurely walk around the block.

The human body was designed for rigorous activity, so exercise routines like bodyweight calisthenics, plyometrics, high intensity interval training, and those like them, are best. You want to move and challenge your entire body, not just swing your arms and legs back and forth.

I believe that some people with gallbladder problems have a degree of Celiac Disease and when the small intestine is damaged, the chemical signal that tells the gallbladder to release bile can be hindered, causing bile to back up into the gallbladder and cause gallstones.

The key here is to fix the gut by eliminating grains, legumes, dairy, processed food, fried food, and artificial sugar from the diet and eating lots of raw, whole fruits and vegetables as well as moderate amounts of raw, unprocessed nuts. A quality probiotic is also necessary to help in digestion and to replenish proper ratios of intestinal bacteria.

Two other natural substances shown scientifically to prevent gallstones and other gallbladder issues are fish oil, and curcumin.

If Your Gallbladder Has Been Removed

Gallbladder surgery is simply a Band-Aid. It does not address the real problem any more than replacing a worn tire on your car corrects a misaligned front-end

Nutrition is always the best place to start when addressing digestive issues because an improper diet is the most common reason GI problems begin.

Anyone who has had their gallbladder removed needs to supplement with the right fat-digesting enzymes to do the job that bile can no longer do. This will often eliminate the horrible symptoms that can occur after surgery.

Omega Ultra Zyme is our #1 recommendation for anyone looking for help in the digestion of fats and protein after gallbladder removal.

It is baffling that so many people undergo gallbladder surgery every year and NO ONE tells them about requiring these supplements for proper fat digestion. Patients just continue living with a loss of appetite, severe nausea, vomiting after meals, and bowel problems, while physicians remain mystified as to the cause of their misery.

At Living Proof, we offer non-surgical solutions, and nutritional and supplements to balance and heal your body, before you rush to surgery, contact us for a consultation.