Gallstone Natural Remedies

Gallstones are solid deposits in the gall bladder – a small pear shaped sac located in the upper right abdomen below the liver.



Gallstones can vary in size from small pebbles to large ones which can even obstruct the bile duct. Gall bladder acts as a storage tank for the bile which is produced in the liver. When a fatty meal reaches the small intestine, it sends biochemical signals to the brain which in turn sends a message to the gall bladder to secrete bile – which is essential for fat digestion in the body.



Bile is primarily made up of cholesterol and bile salts or bilirubin (it also has water, proteins and some other fats in small quantities). Gallstones form when there is an excess cholesterol or bile pigment in the gall bladder. They can be either made up of cholesterol or they can be pigment stones (made up of bilirubin); however 80% of the gallstones are cholesterol stones.



Most of the people will not complain of any symptom and will only discover that they have a gallstone when they go for a routine x-ray or ultrasound. But for some especially when the gallstone has blocked a duct may experience pain the upper abdomen, pain in the right shoulder or pain in the shoulder blades. There are many surgical and non-surgical options available for the treatment of gall stones.

Gallstone remedies to speed up the healing process:

• Trim the fat – Not only the fat in your diet but your body fat too. Even if a person is slightly overweight then his/her risk for developing gallstones in doubled (obese people have six fold risk). Losing weight should be a gradual process because if you drop your weight drastically in a short period then you actually increase your chances of developing a gallstone.
  
  
  
  Lose not more than ½ kg per week and strictly avoid going on any fad diets.
• Watch your fat – It becomes important to restrict your fat in the diet but don’t go for more is good concept and strictly follow a fat-free diet as a totally fat-free diet may actually pose a risk for developing gallstones. This is because when there is no fat in the intestine, bile is not secreted and thus the cholesterol and bile pigments sit and concentrate in the gallbladder. When a low-fat diet is not encouraged, don’t have full-fat diet too.
  
  
  
  Cut down on saturated fats, trans fats present in butter, bakery products, products containing palm or coconut oil and marbled meats.
• Healthy balanced diet (low-fat, high fiber) – A best and easy gallstone remedy is to have a balanced meal which focuses on fresh fruits, dark green vegetables, whole cereals, grains and its produces, beans and sprouts. Certain foods like junk foods (burgers, pizzas, french fries), cakes, pastries, cookies, chocolates, sweets, sodas, colas, carbonated beverages and caffeinated beverages should be avoided. A regular physical activity will also work wonders for gallstones.