Gallstones

GALLSTONES: THE FACTS

As many as 80% of People with gallstones have no symptoms

Fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and jaundice are just a few symptoms that may occur

Acute attacks are heralded by a sudden onset of pain, often after a meal, and lasts several hours

Pain is located in the upper abdomen, usually on the right side, and is sometimes felt in the back and at the tip of the right shoulder blade.

WHAT CAN I DO TO AVOID GALLSTONES AND ARE THEY DANGEROUS?

Gallstones may lodge in the bile duct and cause inflammation of the gallbladder, liver, pancreas and other organs.

Obstruction may rarely cause the gall bladder to rupture, leading to peritonitis, a potentially fatal disease.

There is a lot you can do to stop gallstones from forming. Below are some suggestions. By following these dietary guidelines; you may also be able to ease some of the symptoms if you do have gallstones:

Grill, rather than fry food
Use skimmed milk and low fat spreads
Avoid fatty meats, such as pork or lamb
Cut off excess fat from meat before cooking, and drain off fat released during cooking.
Avoid eggs, cheese, and cream
Avoid any foods that tend to give you indigestion.

Our 7 day Liver Cleanse  is specifically aimed towards naturally and gently expelling gallstones from the gallbladder. So if you have gallstones and don't want to opt for surgery, e-mail us at merlee@beechcroftretreats.com.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT

As a naturopath I advocate a diet free of animal fats, but with increased polyunsaturated fats, such as safflower and sunflower oils. I also suggest fresh vegetables and whole grains, plus extra vitamin C, which helps reduce cholesterol levels in the bile. Always make sure you take a buffered Vitamin C.

The use of magnesium transdermally also aids in the break down of these bile stones. If you are sensitive to taking magnesium (which can be due to an impaired digestive system meaning that magnesium does not get absorbed sufficiently in the gut but passes straight through the body in the form of diarrhoea and stomach upset) than transdermal magnesium is recommended as this is rubbed on to the skin with use of Physiotherm sauna and will aid these stones to pass more easily.

Lemon juice; globe artichoke and chicory can be beneficial.

There are also a variety of herbal formulation that will help to dissolve and pas the stones. These methods I teach on the 7 day liver cleanse programme.