It's no wonder that gallbladder and liver issues affect so many Americans. According to recent statistics, 24% of Americans suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 10–20% develop gallstones, and up to 40% of people have biliary sludge. Bile, an alkaline fluid with a greenish or yellowish color, is crucial for a number of bodily functions, including helping to digest our food. But when bile becomes blocked or gets sticky, it can cause congestion in the liver and gallbladder, leading to the formation of gallstones.

Common symptoms of gallbladder and liver problems include dark urine, fever, nausea, vomiting, pain or tenderness in the abdomen, and yellowing of the eyes or skin. Additionally, a number of factors can contribute to the development of gallstones, including hormones and improper drainage. Women over 40, pregnant women, and those with hormone imbalances are particularly susceptible to gallstones.

Three Common Myths and My Response to Each

Myth #1: Gallstones/cholesterol balls are only found in the gallbladder.

Gallstones are not only found in the gallbladder. Gall simply means "bile," and a gallstone is just a coagulation of bile. However, gallstones often have multiple layers and can contain parasites, and when they appear in the liver, they are known as intrahepatic stones. The liver is composed of around 50,000 small bile ducts, each of which is only 2 mm to 5 mm long and very delicate. It doesn’t take much for the bile ducts to become clogged, and when this happens, gallstones form.

Myth #2: If you don’t see gallstones on radiographic imaging (x-ray), you don’t have them.

Even if gallstones are not visible on a scan, they may still be present. Basic radiography is limited in its ability to detect and show gallstones, and often, the only ones that show up are those that are very dense in mineral content, such as calcium. However, cholesterol balls, the most common type of gallstone, are less visible because they are made of thick, toxic bile and fat and have not calcified, making them not true stones.

Myth #3: Surgery is the only way to get rid of gallstones.

Fortunately, there are ways to cleanse the liver and gallbladder, get the bile flowing again, improve drainage, and remove gallstones without surgery in many cases. If the actual gallbladder tissue is compromised or calcified with calcified stones, this would pose a problem and increase the likelihood of you having symptoms.

Benefits of Eliminating Gallstones and Sluggish Bile: Keeping the bile flowing can help prevent the formation of gallstones. It also comes with a range of health benefits that affect the body far beyond the gallbladder.

Help optimize emotional health: In holistic medicine, it’s common to believe in the connection between mind and body and the influence that emotions have on our health. As in traditional Chinese medicine, many believe that anger is stored in the liver and bitterness and resentment are kept in the gallbladder. That means that gallstones can essentially be pent-up negative emotions or hidden stressors that the body is retaining (hormone fluctuations). This is why it’s crucial to clear out the liver and stagnant bile. It can help your patients let go of and deal with emotions that have been stored in their bodies, ultimately leading to emotional release.

Better hormonal balance: There is a unique relationship between bile and our hormones, such as cortisol, estrogen, melatonin, progesterone, thyroxine, and TSH. Hormones help the gallbladder function, and bile has an influence on certain hormones. Among other things, bile helps control thyroid hormones, promote the metabolism of various other hormones, and stimulate the secretion of hormones in the gut. That means that when the gallbladder and liver are dysfunctional or the bile gets sticky, hormones such as estrogen can build up, causing imbalances. The reverse effect is also true: too much estrogen in the body can affect the bile, slowing its flow or causing it to become sludgy or toxic. As a result, many adverse health conditions can occur. On the other hand, when bile is healthy and flowing normally, it helps regulate hormone production and function.

Greater mental clarity: Research has shown that bile acids can be found in the brain and affect signaling there. They influence neurological function and neurotransmission and can have an impact on brain disorders as well. One study found that older adults with dementia have high levels of biliary sludge. For that reason, keeping the bile healthy and free-flowing may be associated with increased cognitive capacity and better mental clarity.

Improved digestion: Because bile influences the digestive process, keeping it flowing means better digestive health. When bile easily flows into the small intestine, it can help break down food there. This will also help alleviate digestive symptoms that are caused by gallbladder problems, such as bloating and stomach pain. In addition to its role in the small intestine, bile acid has been shown to affect metabolism, including that of both lipids and glucose. For that reason, bile acids may help fight obesity and control metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Improved immune function: Research has found that bile acids support the activity and differentiation of inflammation-regulating T cells and, as a result, are linked to immune function. Studies have found that bile acids interact with immune cells in the gut, where the microbiota help transform bile acids into molecules associated with immune signaling.

Increased detoxification and drainage: Both the liver and gallbladder play a big part in the elimination of toxins and waste. Therefore, when these organs are working at their prime, the body will be able to rid itself more easily of toxins and other unwanted substances. It also means that any side effects of poor drainagee such as allergies, headaches, joint pain, kidney problems, and skin issues acan be avoided.

More energy: Research shows that bile acids can stimulate energy expenditure, thus burning more fat and calories and resulting in higher overall energy levels. Bile acids may also have an influence on the mitochondria, which could lead to increased energy production.

In Conclusion: The gallbladder and liver have far-reaching effects on your health. When these important organs become plugged up, bile can stop passing through them as it should and begin to form gallstones. This can lead to pain and discomfort, and especially when calcification happens, other potential health concerns, some of which can be serious, such as the possibility of autoimmunity with bile backflow. Waiting until you are experiencing any pain before handling this is not a good strategy
 

Sluggish bile and a buildup of toxins in the liver and gallbladder are often the culprits in multifactorial issues. Toxins often find ways to infiltrate the muscles and tendons, keeping or making them tight and tough. Inflexibility is an Aryvedic symptom of toxic buildup in connective tissue, which usually originates in the liver. Trauma to an area allows the collection of toxins to occur more easily. Stimulating bile release will stimulate mechanical tension to release. So focus on detoxing and proper drainage to get your bile flowing again with the goal of optimizing health. This is why I walk people through not only the biochemical caveats, but also the structural restrictions of the fascia that inhibit functional anatomy, which frequently inhibits neurological coordination and prevents full release, taking the cellular burden away from the liver to unburden the body collectively and experience release.