It is shocking
how many people are suffering from gallbladder problems today. While
the typical patient dealing with gallbladder issues used to be a
woman in her 40’s who is struggling with her weight, this is not the
stereotypical case anymore.
Young children, mostly girls, are having gallbladder attacks with
increasing frequency and ending up in the emergency room for
treatment.
In the past month alone, I have heard of two cases in my local
community of teenage girls having serious gallbladder problems, one
of whom, a fifteen year old, who had hers removed.
According to an interview of Dr. Atena Rosak of St. Joseph’s Medical
Center in Maryland who performs many gallbladder surgeries, more and
more young people — especially young women are coming under her
knife.
Hospital officials where Dr. Rosak practices agree. The percentage
of people aged 30 or younger among all patients having their
gallbladders removed at St. Joseph increased from 12.5 percent in
fiscal year 2007 to 16.3 percent in the first 10 months of the
following fiscal year. That’s a 30 percent growth in the proportion
of young people in the mix in less than a year.
The gallbladder is a thumb sized organ nestled in the liver where
bile is stored and concentrated. The gallbladder releases bile
produced by the liver into the small intestine where it is used for
proper digestion and absorption of dietary fats.
While humans can live without a gallbladder, surgical removal,
called a cholecystectomy, can cause challenges consuming fats from
that point forward. Since consumption of healthy fats is so key to
health, preserving this tiny organ and keeping it functional is very
important!
Obviously, fats can still be consumed after gallbladder surgery as
the liver continues to produce bile, but with no place to store and
concentrate the bile, fats become a much trickier process to handle
in the diet without suffering from moderate to severe discomfort.
Certainly, if one can avoid having a cholecystectomy in the first
place with a simple gallbladder cleanse, so much the better.
What Causes Gallbladder Disease
As many as 25 million Americans are estimated to suffer from
gallbladder disease, with more than a half-million having their
gallbladders removed each year.
The most common thing that goes wrong with the gallbladder is the
development of gallstones. There are two types of gallstones:
cholesterol stones and pigment stones. Approximately 80% of stones
are cholesterol stones which are caused by too much cholesterol or
bilirubin (a component of bile), not enough bile salts, or improper
emptying of the gallbladder. The cause of pigment stones is unknown
but they tend to form in those with liver disease or blood
disorders.
“Roughly 20 percent of the people walking around out there have
gallstones. They’re a fairly common occurrence,” said Dr. Richard A.
Mackey, a biliary and pancreatic surgeon at St. Joseph Medical
Center.
Gallstones can continue to grow over time and eventually cause
irritation to the gallbladder itself. Sometimes, the gallstones move
into the bile duct causing pain or blockage. Pain, nausea and fever
are the most common symptoms. Partial or complete blockage can also
cause swelling, infection and the need for emergency surgery.
While the causes of gallbladder disease aren’t entirely clear, poor
diet, excess calcium and estrogen seem to be involved.
Gallbladder Cleanse to Flush Gallstones
If gallbladder problems are occurring in your household or if you
are having problems consuming fats, consideration of a liver and
gallbladder cleanse may be in order.
Andreas Moritz in his book The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle
Cleanse, suggests that ridding the body of substances that “clog up
the body’s cleansing organs creating a toxic environment” is a wise
practice for maintaining good health.
* While a gallbladder cleanse is simple to do, you should check with
your preferably holistic practitioner first if you have a history of
gallbladder problems to make sure you don’t have a large calcified
stone that is too large to pass out of the bile duct.
