The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped sac located under the liver (on the right side of the abdomen) that contains about a half cup of yellowish-green fluid called gallbladder bile. Bile originates in the liver before passing to the gallbladder, where the bile becomes 4 to 12 times more concentrated. The healthy and functional gallbladder acts as a storage reservoir for concentrated bile before it moves into the duodenum (small intestine).
The main function of bile is to help the body digest fats by breaking them down into thin droplets. It helps pancreatic enzymes break down fats into small particles that can pass through the walls of the intestines.
When semi-digested food leaves the stomach and passes into the small intestine, the gallbladder contracts and causes concentrated bile to move through the bile ducts into the small intestine. Once the gallbladder is removed, liquid bile from the liver constantly flows from the common bile duct directly into the small intestine instead of being stored in the gallbladder. This low-quality liquid liver bile that constantly flows into the duodenum cannot properly digest fats, leading to fat intolerance and diarrhea in some people.
Bile is essential for removing dangerous toxins such as bile pigments, bile acids, cholesterol, and heavy metals. The antimicrobial property of concentrated gallbladder bile helps keep the small intestine away from dangerous invaders like bad bacteria, parasites, and yeast. Consequently, the absence of the gallbladder leads to Candida yeast and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) which can lead to gas and indigestion.
Healthy alkaline bile neutralizes semi-digested acidic foods in the stomach, thus creating the proper alkaline environment in the small intestine for pancreatic enzymes to function. It is well known that pancreatic enzymes require an alkaline condition in the duodenum to digest the food consumed. When the bile in the gallbladder is not alkaline, undigested foods in the small intestine ferment causing gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, and uncomfortable visits to the bathroom.
The gallbladder acts as a buffer reservoir to prevent buildup of bile and to prevent high pressure in the bile and pancreatic ducts. This high pressure expands the common bile duct and causes pain. Common bile duct enlargement is a common finding after gallbladder removal. When there is no gallbladder, the increasing pressure within the pancreatic duct can cause the activation of pancreatic enzymes within the pancreas and, as a consequence, inflammation of the pancreas can develop.
The liver, gallbladder, pancreas, duodenum, bile ducts, and muscle valves work together due to the perfect regulation of the body. Doctors and researchers have found that cutting the nerve branches that surround the gallbladder can disrupt the proper function of the sphincter of Oddi, the valve between the bile and pancreatic ducts and the duodenum. Almost 20% of patients after gallbladder surgery suffer from sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. The spasm of this strategic valve leads to the accumulation of bile and pancreatic juices with the resulting pain, nausea, and possible development of pancreatitis.
Concentrated gallbladder bile is necessary for intestinal motility, digestion, and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. Lack of bile from the gallbladder creates less peristaltic movement, causing people to are prone to constipation.
The main reasons for gallbladder surgery are gallbladder inflammation and / or stones. Gallbladder removal does not stop stone production or bile duct inflammation. Therefore, inflammation and stone buildup, both in the liver and bile ducts, can often be seen in people without a gallbladder.
Although the loss of these gallbladder functions is not life-threatening, gallbladder removal can cause many unpleasant symptoms. For some people, life after gallbladder removal is a miserable existence. This condition is called post-cholecystectomy syndrome. The term postcholecystectomy syndrome (PCS) describes the presence of symptoms after cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal surgery).
What can be done to reduce the consequences and symptoms of post-cholecystectomy syndrome?
Many non-surgical, non-drug healing techniques can alleviate many of these uncomfortable symptoms. Some of them have been widely used for a hundred years around the world.
A curative diet is one of the oldest, cheapest, safest, and most effective medicines in the world.
Changes in diet are of vital importance for a person suffering from postoperative digestive problems.
In a healthy and functional body, the gallbladder, pancreas, bile, and pancreatic juices are naturally alkaline. The acidity of the whole body is one of the main causes of the malfunction of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Acidity causes biochemical changes in the bile that make it corrosively irritating to the bile ducts, the sphincter of Oddi, and the small intestine. Aggressive acidic liver bile irritates surrounding tissues, causes spasmodic contractions and reflux. This aggressive mixture of acid bile and pancreatic juices regurgitates into the stomach and esophagus and / or causes spasms of the sphincter of Oddi. This can be the cause of heartburn, nausea, and upper abdominal pain that is often experienced after gallbladder surgery.
An alkaline diet involves eating primarily alkaline-based foods and avoiding acid-forming foods such as sugars, red meat, soft drinks, dairy products, white flour, white rice, alcohol, etc. A separate diet requires eating only one type of food at a time. Mixing foods like salad, soup, main course, dessert, soda, and alcohol into one meal, as people often do, puts great strain on the digestive system. When people without a gallbladder (who do not have the presence of good quality bile) continue to eat this way, many symptoms of indigestion occur such as abdominal pain, nausea, belching, gas, heartburn, diarrhea and / or constipation.
Usually people without a gallbladder have two problems: one is Candida yeast overgrowth, another is food sensitivity. An elimination diet and an anti-Candida diet can be very beneficial for these conditions.
In simple chemistry it is known that to neutralize acidity the body needs many minerals and bicarbonates. Unfortunately, today’s food contains very few of these vital nutrients, so supplementation is a practical way to get them. The easiest way to get minerals and bicarbonates is by drinking healing mineral water.
Doctors in Europe have used healing mineral water for hundreds of years. There are many mineral health spas in Germany, Austria, France, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Thousands of people travel to these spas for cleansing, rejuvenation and healing procedures. The most researched mineral water with 500 years of use is Karlovy Vary thermal water in the Czech Republic. It is hard to believe that the first medical book referring to the use of this water in digestive problems was written in 1522. Since then, many medical articles, books and dissertations have described the healing actions of Karlovy Vary Healing Mineral Water for many digestive systems. . and metabolic disorders including postcholecystectomy syndrome. Millions of Europeans have drunk healing mineral water made from genuine Karlovy Vary thermal spring salt vaporized at home for over 250 years.
According to European doctors, this mineral water favors the production and rapid transit of bile, makes it more alkaline and improves the function of the pancreas. All of these actions are beneficial for people without a gallbladder to improve digestion and decrease symptoms of post-cholecystectomy syndrome.
Cellular magnesium-potassium, another alkalizing agent, can also decrease acidity in the body.
How can we know if our body is acidic or alkaline? Checking the pH of saliva and urine with litmus paper is the easy and inexpensive way to check body acidity. If the pH of saliva and urine is frequently below 6.6, it can be a warning sign of total body acidity.
Drinking herbal tea can relieve spasms, gas, heartburn, and indigestion. A skilled herbalist can customize herbal remedies for many conditions. Some European and Chinese herbal medicine formulas can decrease the number of stones in the bile ducts, make the bile in the liver liquid and less aggressive, and decrease spasms and pain.
People with post-cholecystectomy syndrome can lessen many unpleasant symptoms by using herbal formulas. They are not a quick fix, but in the long run, herbs are safe and effective remedies.
Some people who have had gallbladder surgery lose the proper interaction between the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, duodenum, and stomach. To normalize this teamwork, it can be treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture is the oldest healing method for digestive disorders. Many medical articles have been published during the last decades confirming the positive action of acupuncture in the treatment of post-cholecystectomy syndrome. Another positive result of acupuncture is that it can help cure addiction to alcohol and pain relievers.
Medical science has yet to develop a surgical technique to replace the gallbladder once it has been removed. However, we can control the dire symptoms of post-cholecystectomy syndrome using various non-surgical and drug-free healing methods. These methods are safe, effective, and relatively inexpensive and can be used in conjunction with modern medicine.
The information in this article is presented for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified licensed professional.