Gallbladder Congestion: Is there relief? By Dr. Jenefer Huntoon, Naturopathic Physician, Seattle WA. http://www.DrHuntoon.com
The gallbladder, an important and often misunderstood internal organ, is located near the liver. It aids digestion by secreting bile into the small intestine to stimulate the digestion of fat. When the gallbladder is congested it means that the bile is too thick due to undigested food. This is a very common problem caused by a diet of processed foods lacking in live plant enzymes. When the bile is too thick, the gallbladder swells resulting in pain. Gallbladder problems usually present as either right shoulder pain or heartburn. Antacids do not relieve this type of heartburn.
Gallstones are an end result of bile that has thickened over time. They are actually very common and usually do not cause symptoms. Gallstones are often diagnosed by chance due to the increased use of abdominal ultrasound. Once they are detected medically, the usual procedure is to schedule their removal even though medical journals have repeatedly warned that the gallbladder should not be removed unless the patient has symptoms. However, it is still common practice to remove the Gallbladder even when there are no symptoms. It is important to note that the removal of the gallbladder will not thin the bile or reduce the symptoms caused by thick bile.
We recommend that the patient replace other fats and oils with olive oil. Also, plant digestive enzymes are prescribed to digest fat and gently thin the bile. Enzymes can slowly reduce gallstones, but our primary objective is to thin the bile and improve digestion. When the bile is normalized, the patient is less prone to gallbladder congestion, swelling, pain and the formation of stones. It is best to work in conjunction with a plant enzyme specialist when dealing with serious gallbladder congestion.
Dr. Huntoon is a Northwest expert in plant enzyme therapy and has studied under Dr. Howard Loomis (the world expert in plant enzyme therapy) since 1987. She is currently one of a few Internal Health Specialists certified by Logan College.
