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GALLSTONES OR CHOLELITHIASIS
The definition of cholelithiasis:
solid crystalline precipitates in the BILIARY TRACT, usually formed in the GALLBLADDER. Gallstones, derived from the BILE, consist
mainly of calcium, cholesterol, or bilirubin. (italics
are mine).
The medical term for gall stones is cholelithiasis. Chole is from the Greek meaning "bile". Lithos is "stone"
and iasis is "condition of". So it is the condition of having bile stones. The usual center of gallstones
is a mixture of cholesterol, bilirubin and calcium, in differing amounts of each. These stones can be black, red,
white, green, or tan-colored. The most common found during a flush is the pea-green color which contain the highest
concentration of cholesterol and are generally soft and easy to crumble. As the stones grow and become more numerous,
they clog the tubing, creating back pressure on the liver, causing it to make less bile. The back-up of bile can
cause jaundice which gives a yellow coloring to the skin and the whites of the eyes. Pigment gallstones are generally
black and brown and contain more calcium than cholesterol. Research shows that bacteria plays a central role in
the formation of pigment gall stones. Stones found in the bile ducts, regardless of consistency, nearly always
have a bacterial component.
SYMPTOMS OF GALLSTONES
Symptoms of a gallbladder
attack are often caused by gallbladder stones. A stone may block the neck
of the gallbladder or get stuck in a bile duct inhibiting the flow of bile or possibly causing a backing up of
bile. However, short of causing an actual attack, stones may be present for years and never cause any symptoms
at all. "Biliary pain can occur in about a third of the gallstone patients" (which leaves two thirds
NOT experiencing pain) and "sometimes the gallstone symptoms are difficult to differentiate from that of dyspepsia."
(indigestion)3 The gallstones can impair the functioning of the gallbladder, however, which can result in any of
the common gallbladder symptoms.
Gallbladder symptoms can look and feel the same with or without
stones. That is why medical testing is so necessary for an accurate diagnosis. Someone will go into the emergency
room with a gallbladder attack and be told it's because he has gallstones. The person in the bed next to him also
has a gallbladder attack and has an inflammed gallbladder but no stones. A third person has an attack but they
can find nothing. This is not an uncommon question I get. "The diagnostic tests are all negative. What do
I do now? How do I get out of pain?" People are upset because they want a diagnosis. "But what am I supposed
to do with my pain if it comes back if the medical people don't know what to do with it?" Hey, lucky you!
At least they won't be wanting to cut your gallbladder out! This person is the best candidate for turning around
a gallbladder problem with natural products, treatments and diet.
Stones or no stones, my answer is that basically you treat
almost any gallbladder problem (life-treatening complications must be considered carefully and with your MD) pretty
much the same way, with diet, with bile thinning substances, with fat emulsifiers and metabolizers. And you work
on improving your overall digestion in general.
Gallstones are considered a gallbladder disease and for any
gallbladder problem or disease the above-mentioned principals are the same. For gallbladder stones specifically,
however, there are some products and foods that more directly affect the stones which can be found in the diet section and in the extra-strength gallbladder relief kit of gallbladder
products.
SILENT GALLSTONES
70-80% of people with gallstones never know they have them.
These are called "silent gallstones". However, the remaining 20-30% still results in 500,000-700,000
gallbladder removals every year. And since the diet of the general American population is not improving, those
numbers are rising.
The risk of silent gallstones causing a gallbladder attack
is about 1% per year.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine compared the
mortality rate from emergency surgery performed for obstructing gallstones with the mortality rate from routine,
scheduled gallbladder surgery and concluded that the latter gallbladder surgery is actually more dangerous. They
advised that "silent" gallstones should not be subjected to surgery but left alone.
And another study reports:
"We conclude that innocent gallstones are not a myth,
and that in some populations the majority of silent gallstones are inconsequential. We believe that routine prophylactic
operation for silent gallstone disease, at least in white American men, is neither necessary nor advisable."2.
CAUSES OF GALLSTONES OR RISK FACTORS- some less known
Some people understand immediately
why they developed gallstones. They've been living on fast foods, sugars or greasy, fried foods etc. The ones who
eat a healthy, organic and maybe vegetarian diet are more surprised and are looking for answers to how they got
gallstones. If you study the list below, you will find many places you may fit. For exmple, some people get gallbladder
attacks eating wheat or other gluten with no fat on it at all. This is more likely an intolerance to gluten. A
person who is thin, and who has a foggy brain, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and gallstones could be someone with
Hashimotos. Not all these symptoms need to be present and there
are many others that could be. Read the page on hypothyroidism if any of that sounds familiar.
It's important that you identify the causes
that are contributing to your gallstone problem, because even if you choose to remove your gallbladder, the root
of the probelm has not been addressed and could be contributing to more than just gallstones. Use this time and
this condition as a motivation to look into your overall health.
One can't do too much about the first three:
- Over age 40 and increase in risk as one ages
- Female especially those who have had children
- Ethnicity (Pima Indians and Mexican-Americans)
- Family history of gallbladder disease (Heredity)-
but note that diet can also be hereditary
- Overweight
- Rapid weight loss
- Estrogen intake and birth control pills(estrogen
increases the concentration of cholesterol in the bile)
- Diabetes
- Insulin Resistance
- Food Intolerances/Allergies
- Hypothyroidism
- High triglycerides, high LDL cholesterol,
decreased HDL cholesterol,
- Alcohol intake
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs, immunosuppressive
drugs and others
- Diet high in saturated fats
- Diet high in refined foods and sugars
- Diet low in fiber (which is what the refined
diets are) and not enough egetables
- Very Low Calorie Diets
- Non-fat diets
- Low-fat diets
- Constipation
- Leaky Gut
- Diseases such as chronic inflammatory bowel
disease, chrons disease (ulcerative colitis is contraversial) Hemolytic anemias
I am including here an abstract from the journal
"Medical Hypothesis" entitled "Alternative Treatment of Gallbladder Disease" because it enumerates
several causes of gallbladder disease and gallstones. Note that it mentions the primary ingredient in our recommended
gallstone kit's Gallbladder Detox, coin grass, or lysimanchia which is usually used as a tincture.
"Major risk factors for gallbladder disease
include a sedentary lifestyle and a diet rich in refined sugars. In genetically prone individuals, these two factors
lead to an abnormal bile composition, altered gut microflora, and hyperinsulinemia, with resulting gallstone formation.
As a large percentage of gallbladder patients have continued digestive complaints following cholecystectomy, the
author examines complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments to counteract gallstone formation. Herbal
medicine such as turmeric, oregon grape, bupleurum, and coin grass may reduce gallbladder inflammation and relieve
liver congestion. Elimination of offending foods, not necessarily 'fatty' foods, is often successful and recommended
by many holistic physicians. Regular aerobic exercise has a beneficial effect on hyperinsulinemia, which is often
associated with gallbladder disease. Dietary changes that lower plasma insulin levels, such as a change in dietary
fats and substitution of unrefined carbohydrates for refined carbohydrates, may also be helpful."8
HOW GALLSTONES FORM
Stasis or stagnation of bile or incomplete emptying of the
gallbladder causes the bile to coagulate or precipitate and clump together into stones. Sometimes it will form
one large stone the size of a large marble or even a golf ball.
The precurser to stones will be what is termed "sludge".7 A more scientific explanation
would be that cholesterol stones are caused by the imbalance of cholesterol to bile salts, too much of one or not
enough of the other. There can also be too much bilirubin. So what good is that information? How can we
control the too much of any of the above? Useless, I say. The following research makes much more practical sense
as far as we are concerned:
"Formation of pure cholesterol stones is
initiated by an excessive intake of highly purified carbohydrates, a large intake of animal fats and a restricted
intake of vegetable fibers. When the protein content of the lithogenic diet was reduced, mixed or combined stones
were formed in golden hamsters. These experimentally, dietarily produced gallstones had compositions and fine structures
similar to those of human gallstones. Some mentions were made of black stones which were found in the aged golden
hamsters fed with lithogenic diets." 4
Translation: Cholesterol stones are formed by eating a diet
high in refined foods, especially white foods -- sugar, white bread, pasta, pastries, sodas, etc., lots of meat
and by not eating enough vegetables. When the protein content of diet is low and just the sugars (refined carbohydrates)
are eaten, the calicified stones began to form along with the softer cholesterol ones. The
black stones that are sometimes passed during a flush or found in a surgically-removed gallbladder, seem to be
older stones that have been there for a long time. Lithogenic means contributing to the formation of stones.
There is also the medical opinion that some pharmaceutical
drugs may contribute to the formation of gallstones.5
An underlying hypothyroid condition
could also contribute to the formation of gallstones
according to research. A low-functioning thyroid means that metabolism in general is slowed down. The gallbladder
may not empty as efficiently as it should contributing to a condition of stasis as well. Food allergies also play
a big part in gallstones. For information on which foods are most likely to contribute to gallbladder stones and
to gallbladder attacks, read the gallbladder diet page. And
to discover what food intolerances you may have check out our allergy diet page.
GALL STONES AND PREGNANCY
Pregnancy is a risk factor for gallstones because of the
high hormone levels. The excess hormones result in excess cholesterol in the bile which can form stones. Catching
the stones early when they are small and fewer in number makes it easier to manage with diet and natural supplements.
Don't try to eat a non-fat diet, unless you absolutely cannot tolerate fat at all. Usually good fats such as omega
3's like flax oil are quite digestible and needed by the body and the brain. Olive oil in small doses is also recommended.
The oil contained in fish is easier to digest than that in meats as well.
Avoid eggs, onions, and pork and follow the gallbladder diet as well as you can, taking care to get all the calories and protein
that you need.
Surgery is not usually recommended in the first or third
semesters of pregnancy anyway, so finding a way to control the symptoms naturally is usually necessary. Important:
Of the products on this site, it is not recommended to take the orthophosphoric acid or Dissolve GS while pregnant.
Also, avoid the alcoholic tinctures. A good place to start for gallstones or other gallbladder symptoms while pregnant
would be the Gallbladder Starter Kit minus the phosphoric acid.
MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OF GALL STONES
ULTRASOUND
Frequently, gallstones are discovered during tests for other
health conditions. When gallstones are suspected to be the cause of symptoms, the doctor is likely to do an ultrasound
exam—the most sensitive and specific test for gallstones. A handheld device, which a technician glides over the
abdomen, sends sound waves toward the gallbladder. The sound waves bounce off the gallbladder, liver, and other
organs, and their echoes make electrical impulses that create a picture of the gallbladder on a video monitor.
If gallstones are present, the sound waves will bounce off them, too, showing their location.
CT SCAN or Computerized tomography
The CT scan is a noninvasive x ray that produces cross-section
images of the body. The test may show the gallstones or complications, such as infection and rupture of the gallbladder
or bile ducts.
HIDA SCAN or Cholescintigraphy
The patient is injected with a small amount of radioactive
material that is absorbed by the gallbladder, which is then stimulated to contract by the addition of a substance
such as eggs. The test is used to diagnose abnormal contraction of the gallbladder (biliary dyskinesia) or obstruction
of the bile ducts.
ERCP or Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
ERCP is used to locate and remove stones in the bile ducts.
After lightly sedating you, the doctor inserts an endoscope—a long, flexible, lighted tube with a camera—down the
throat and through the stomach and into the small intestine. The endoscope is connected to a computer and video
monitor. The doctor guides the endoscope and injects a special dye that helps the bile ducts appear better on the
monitor. The endoscope helps the doctor locate the affected bile duct and the gallstone. The stone is captured
in a tiny basket and removed with the endoscope.
BLOOD TESTS
Blood tests may be performed to look for signs of infection,
obstruction, pancreatitis, or jaundice.
Because gallstone symptoms may be similar to those of a heart attack, appendicitis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome,
hiatal hernia, pancreatitis, and hepatitis, an accurate diagnosis is important.
MEDICAL
TREATMENT OF GALL STONES
Ursodiol is a natural occuring bile salt or bile acid. You
may have heard of Actigall. Actigall is one brand name for ursodiol. Although ursodiol has been FDA approved for
dissolving cholesterol gallstones and for the prevention of gallstones, since the introduction of the laparoscopy
gallbladder removal is the medical treatment of choice for gallstones. Surgery is quick; dissolving gallstones
with ursodiol or other bile salts takes a long time. And whether done via lithotripsy or bile acids, research shows
that 50% of the time the stones will come back.5 The same will be true for liver and gallbladder flushes too unless
dietary changes are made and fat digestion is improved. For discussion of common medical treatments for gallstones
such as gallbladder removal see links to medical sites.
ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT
OF GALLSTONES
Gallstones may be removed from the gallbladder by means of
a gallbladder
and liver flush. However, this is helpful with small stones and very difficult with
large ones. It is advisable to take natural products such as the Gallstone Kit to prepare
for a flush. The Lemon Tea Kit helps to emulsify fats and the limonene has been used successfully to dissolve gall
stones. These products along with dietary measures are important to both decrease the size of the gallstones and
to soften them first. I do not advise a flush until you have prepared for weeks (if your discomfort is severe)
or months (depending on the size and calcification of the stones). The importance of dietary changes cannot be
stressed enough and improving fat metabolism as well. Other treatments listed under how to prevent gallbladder
attacks may also be helpful for stones since anything that helps to thin the bile and get it moving is akin to
water flowing over pebbles. The faster it is moving, the more it wears them down.
GALLSTONE DIET
PREVENTION
OF GALLSTONES
- Do not overeat
- Diet high in fiber - lots of vegetables
- Avoid refined carbohydrates (including sugar and white flour)
- Omega 3 oils and other polyunsaturated fats and monosaturated
fats such as olive oil, avocado, sunflower etc.
- Avoid saturated and trans fats
- Eat more polyunsaturated fats
- Eat moderate amounts of lean meats
- Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day
- Regular exercise
- Lose excess weight, but slowly
- Elimination diet for food allergies - cut out common allergens
such as wheat and all other grains containing gluten, and dairy
- Supplemental bile salts and bile thinning agents as found
in the gallbladder products. In particular I would suggest the Gallbladder Starter Kit to begin with and then the
Gallstone Kit. Individual products that are also helpful are Bile Salts and Phos Drops. The Lemon Tea Kit helps
to emulsify fats and research shows that limonene has been used successfully to dissolve gall stones.
- Take care of health issues such as hypothyroidism, leaky
gut and food intolerances before they have a chance to cause gallstones.
GALLSTONE MENU
- see GALLBLADDER MENU
GALLBLADDER STONES- DRAWING
Notice the Choledocholithias,
gallstones in the bile duct, in the picture.
(1)Torsoli A, Corazziari E, Habib FI, Cicala M. Scand J
Gastroenterol Suppl. 1990;175:52-7.
(2) The physicochemical basis of cholesterol gallstone
formation in man William H. Admirand and Donald M. Small 1Boston University Medical School, Department of Medicine,
Section of Gastroenterology, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
(3) Friedman GD. Natural history of asymptomatic and symptomatic gallstones. Am J Surg 1993; 165: 399-404.
(4) Nagase M, Hikasa Y, Tanimura H, Setoyama M, Kamata T, Mukaihara S, Maruyama K., Etiology of cholesterol gallstones.,
Gastroenterol Jpn. 1979;14(1):40-7
(5) Ruppin DC, Dowling RH.Is recurrence inevitable after gallstone dissolution by bile-acid treatment? Lancet.
1982 Jan 23;1(8265):181-5.
(6) Weinstein S, Lipsitz EC, Addoniziol L, et al. Cholelithiasis in paediatric cardiac
transplant patients on cyclosporin. J Pediatr Surg 1995;30:61-4.
(7) Carey MC.,Pathogenesis of gallstones.Recenti Prog Med. 1992 Jul-Aug;83(7-8):379-91
(8) M.M. Moga, Alternative treatment of gallbladder
disease,
Medical Hypothesis Volume 60, Issue 1, Pages 143-147 (January 2003)
(9)Igimi H, Tamura R, Toraishi K, Yamamoto
F, Kataoka A, Ikejiri Y, Hisatsugu T, Shimura H. Dig Dis Sci. 1991 Feb;36(2):200-8
Medical dissolution of gallstones. Clinical experience of d-limonene as a simple, safe, and effective solvent.
Shionogi Research Laboratories, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
(10,12) Hiroshi Tanimura and Yorninori Hikasa,
The Etiology and Pathophysiology of Cholelithiasis
Journal of Gastroenterology, Springer Japan ISSN0944-1174 (Print) 1435-5922 , Volume 10, Number 1 / March, 1975
(11)U. Leuschner, M. Leuschner, J. Sieratzki,
W. Kurtz and K. Hübner,Gallstone dissolution with ursodeoxycholic acid in patients with chronic active hepatitis
and two years follow-up
Springer Netherlands, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Volume 30, Number 7 / July, 1985
(12)William A. Gracie, M.D., and David F.
Ransohoff, M.D.,The Natural History of Silent Gallstones — The Innocent Gallstone is Not a Myth,
N Engl J Med 1982; 307:798-800September 23, 1982
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Gallstone Research
"Retained gallstones in the bile ducts
account for 60-70% of all the cases of postcholecystectomy syndromes. A solvent d-limonene preparation was injected
directly to the biliary system of 200 patients to dissolve or disintegrate the retained gallstones. The outcomes
were: retained stones completely disappeared in 96 cases (48%); partial dissolution in 29 (14.5%); chelating agent
was also used with partial dissolution in 16 (8%); ineffective in 59 (24.5%)."(9)
Igimi H, Tamura R, Toraishi K, Yamamoto F, Kataoka
A, Ikejiri Y, Hisatsugu T, Shimura H.
Dig Dis Sci. 1991 Feb;36(2):200-8
Medical dissolution of gallstones. Clinical experience of d-limonene as a simple, safe, and effective solvent.
Shionogi Research Laboratories, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
Bile Salts dissolve gallstones...
"Chenodeoxycholic acid"
(bile acid) "at a dose of 3 mg/kg per day inhibited the formation of cholesterol gallstones in animals and
a human female case whose stones had disappeared within 12 weeks by administration of chenodeoxycholic acid was
reported."10
Hiroshi Tanimura and Yorninori
Hikasa, The Etiology and Pathophysiology of Cholelithiasis
Journal of Gastroenterology, Springer Japan ISSN0944-1174 (Print) 1435-5922 , Volume 10, Number 1 / March, 1975
Bile Salts dissolve gallstones
again...
"Chemical dissolution
of cholesterol gallstones using ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in six patients… The stones dissolved in five patients…
A stone recurred in one patient six months after the end of therapy; the others have remained free of stones for
up to 24 months."11
U. Leuschner, M. Leuschner, J.
Sieratzki, W. Kurtz and K. Hübner,Gallstone dissolution with ursodeoxycholic acid in patients with chronic
active hepatitis and two years follow-up
Springer Netherlands, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Volume 30, Number 7 / July, 1985
Butterfat contributes to gallstone formation...
"A 15% or 20% butterfat
diet as a large supply of saturated fatty acids induced a relative deficiency of EFA"(essential fatty acids)
"in animals, and we succeeded in producing cholesterol stones even in the starch diet group."12
Hiroshi Tanimura and Yorninori
Hikasa, The Etiology and Pathophysiology of Cholelithiasis
Journal of Gastroenterology, Springer Japan ISSN0944-1174 (Print) 1435-5922 , Volume 10, Number 1 / March, 1975
Although previous studies have suggested that bacteria may
contribute to pigment gallstone formation,
the current experiments provide evidence that bacteria have a central role in this process.…78%) of 32 pigment
stones had evidence of bacterial microcolonies throughout the interior of the stones. Bacteria were absent from
the interior of all 35 cholesterol stones studied. These results also suggest that sepsis is more common in pigment
gallstone disease because the stones can serve as a sanctuary for bacteria.13
13.L Stewart, A L Smith, C A Pellegrini, R W Motson, and L W Way, Pigment gallstones
form as a composite of bacterial microcolonies and pigment solids. Ann Surg. 1987 September; 206(3): 242-250.
DO YOU KNOW
"Experts generally agree that there is no need to treat gallstones unless they cause symptoms, such as colics."
Falk Foundation website:
www.drfalkpharma.de
The Falk Foundation specializes in gastroenterological and hepatological diseases.
If you've had an attack and you don't want another
You need to get on some natural
products that thin the bile such as will be recommended when you submit your questionnaire.
You need to change your diet, especially your fats. Read and follow our gallstone diet.
Order
my newsletters full of
tips that
will help you to turn your impaired fat
digestion and your gallbladder health
around.
You need to educate yourself and then
implement the concepts.
If dietary changes are difficult for you,
you will want to use the recommended
products that are specifically designed
to help your body to crave healthy
foods.
God bless you for this website. R. Smith
Day ten on the gall bladder starter kit and the pain is gone. Following the diet regime and taking the supplements
and the improvement is amazing. I appreciate all the advice on you website and in the emails and am changing my
lifestyle as directed. The results are most gratifying. You know your stuff and present it well. I am most appreciative.
TC, San Clemente, CA
I have had migraines on on the right side for years. Since I started your products they went away! J.W.
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