Impaired Gallbladder
Function Linked to Depression
The Ancient Greeks believed that a person's dominant body fluid, or "humor,"
determined his or her personality and character. A person in whom blood was
strongest would be cheerful and optimistic, while one dominated by phlegm would
be calm and sluggish.
Now researchers have shown that one of these "humors" may indeed have something
to do with our moods -- in particular the tendency to become depressed in the
winter, a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
People with low levels of bilirubin, which Hypocrites called "yellow bile," may
be more likely to suffer from SAD.
Bilirubin is an orange-yellow pigment found in the blood and bile, a liquid
released by the liver that helps digest fat. Bilirubin levels in the body follow
a circadian rhythm, gradually increasing at night and decreasing during the day.
Investigators measured nighttime bilirubin levels in nine SAD patients and seven
healthy volunteers.
The SAD patients had lower bilirubin levels than the healthy patients, the
researchers found. And, after 2 weeks of daily light treatment -- the standard
method for lifting seasonal depression -- the SAD patients' bilirubin levels
increased, although they were still lower than those of the normal volunteers.
The conventional wisdom of the 20th century was that bilirubin was a useless
leftover waste product of evolution. But nature uses energy to make bilirubin
and it's very unlikely and very unsatisfying to think that it serves no
physiological purpose.
In plants, a green pigment called phytochrome absorbs light and transmits the
signal throughout the organism, acting like a time sensor. It helps tell the
plant the appropriate time to sprout, flower, and so on.
Researchers hypothesize that bilirubin might serve a similar purpose in humans.
The pigment may be a phototransducer, meaning it absorbs light and then
transmits a signal, perhaps somehow curing and controlling the biological clock.
Evidence for bilirubin's role as a phototransducer include the fact that it is
light-sensitive, can cross the blood-brain barrier, and can slip into cells and
their nuclei with ease.
Bilirubin is also a potent and very abundant circulating antioxidant and could
help protect the brain by wiping out tissue-damaging free radicals. This is
another way that low bilirubin levels might leave some people vulnerable to SAD.
----Biological Psychiatry January 2002
DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Nearly all of the gallbladders that are removed are unnecessary. Of course most
physicians wait beyond the point where recovery can occur, and the patient
progresses to an acute surgical emergency that requires the gallbladder to be
removed.
But, if the patient is caught early and instructed on proper diet and exercise
therapy, nearly all of these surgeries could be avoided.
But to add insult to injury, virtually every surgeon tells the patient that his
or her gallbladder really isn't necessary anyway and that there is no problem in
removing it.
Well, nothing could be further from the truth. The gallbladder stores bile and
without bile, it is very difficult for your body to properly emulsify fats to
absorb them. Trying to get fat into your body without a gallbladder is like
trying to wash greasy dishes without soap. You can do it, but not very well.
Now we find out from the above study that the gallbladder is also likely to be
helpful in helping us treat depression.
So, ladies keep your gallbladder if at all possible. Start on the eating plan
following and get your exercise program in place to avoid having your
gallbladder removed.
Food Changes
AVOID:
*Sugar - Limiting sugar is CRITICAL
*Aspartame (NutraSweet or Equal)
*Sucralose - (Splenda)
*Trans fatty acids (all fried foods and margarine)
*MSG (may not be listed in ingredients)
*All artificial preservatives and chemicals, if possible
Eat More Vegetables:
*Kale, Swiss chard, collards, spinach
*Dandelion greens, green and red cabbage, broccoli
*Red and green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, endive
*Chinese cabbage, bok choy, fennel, celery, cucumbers
*Cauliflower, zucchini, Brussels sprouts
*Summary: The greener the better
AVOID:
*Iceberg lettuce: low nutritional value
*Carrots and underground vegetables
*Potatoes, beets - if you have weight problem, as they are high in sugar
*Corn
*Popcorn, chips (It is a grain, not a vegetable)
*Most all grains
*Chewing gum: wastes digestive enzymes
*All sources of sugar or artificial sweetener
Beverages:
*Water Only:
*Spring water or filtered
*Well water is generally OK
*Drink water at room temperature, not chilled or iced
*Lemon juice can be added intermittently for flavor change
**Amount needed: one quart for every 50 pounds Juices
*Freshly processed vegetable juice
*Green tea (very limited amounts as high fluoride content may cause
problems)
AVOID:
*Tap water
*Softened or distilled water
*Coffee, tea, colas, diet drinks, store bough fruit juices
*Milk, especially skim
*Get vitamin D from supplements or sun exposure
*Get calcium from green vegetables or supplements
*No need for children to drink any milk after age of 2 years
Protein
*Meats
*Grass Fed
*Poultry: chicken, turkey, ostrich
*Game meats: venison, buffalo, lamb
*Eggs: organic only
*Seeds: raw only sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flax
*Nuts: raw only: cashews, Brazil nuts, almonds, pecans, but limited
quantities
AVOID:
*Pork: ham, most bacon, pork roast and chops
*Shellfish: shrimp, lobster, crabs, clams
*Peanuts
*Bananas and oranges: highly allergenic and high in sugars
*Beans and Legumes (Generally excellent but not complete protein source)
*"Eat Right For Your Type" blood type
*Soak beans (not lentils) for 48-72 hours (Rinsing every 12 hours and Cook
them for 8-12 hours in a crock-pot)
AVOID:
*All soy unless fermented or sprouted
*Tofu, soy protein
*Only Miso, tempeh and soy sprouts are acceptable
"Well, What Am I Supposed to Eat?"
*Cookbook can help - This is an electronic cookbook that you can download
to your computer (also available as hard copy).
*Menu creation is vital
Breakfast ideas:
*Double dinner and eat leftovers next morning
*Organic Eggs, but only 3-4 times per week
*Fresh vegetable juice
WARNING! The above diet outline will generally cause you to lose weight. If you
do not want or need to lose weight you can increase the following foods: beans,
squash, fruits, nuts, brown (not white) rice, millet and yams. Stop the rice and
yams if your original symptoms worsen. You can also add shredded coconut to some
of your meals to add calories.
Lifestyle Changes
Exercise:
*If you need to lose weight 60 minutes every day.
*Work up to this slowly and you can combine several periods to reach 60
minutes.
Sleep:
*One hour outside in sun increases Melatonin
*Sleep in pitch dark to maximize Melatonin
*Go to bed before 10 PM to improve adrenal function, every minute before
midnight equal to ten after midnight
*Refer to The Optimal Wellness Guide to a Good Night's Sleep
Sunlight:
*One hour of sunshine a day, preferably from 11AM-1PM
*No glasses or contacts to maximize wavelength exposure to retina
*Full spectrum lights in winter (florescent, not neodymium)
*Electro Magnetic Fields
AVOID:
*Electric razors
*AC/DC transformers
*Electric blankets
*Waterbed heaters
*Automatic car door openers in pocket
* All watches unless no battery present
Drugs:
*Minimize or avoid whenever possible
*Especially troublesome: Antibiotics, Anti-ulcer drugs, and Birth control
pills or estrogen for menopause
Supplements:
*Careful of most multivitamins generally not necessary
*Good bacteria (Probiotics) benefit nearly all
*Avoid iron (Use herbal iron, Yellow Dock or IX)
*If supplements smell bad to you don't use them
*Convenient way to store many supplements small fishing tackle box
*Betaine hydrochloride frequently helpful--need test
Listen To Your Body
*Any food or supplement makes you nauseous, or makes you sick in some way
stop it immediately!
*Use as guide to determine what is right for YOUR body.
AVOID:
*Microwaved food and water
*Root canals
*Fluoride toothpaste, in water or treatments
*Unclean counters: use bleach or Sunshine Concentrate with Lemon Essential
Oil
*Immunizations
*Non-coated aluminum cookware (Teflon coated cookware is less than optimal
but is acceptable unless it is chipped. However, if you heat the Teflon to high
temperatures then you will liberate fluoride into the air which may cause health
and environmental problems.)
*Breathing from upper chest
*Constipation, Need 2-3 bowel movements per day, Magnesium can be used if
necessary
*Low thyroid frequently problem
*Quickly eating food: chew food thoroughly
*Antiperspirants due to aluminum (use Nature's Fresh Spray or Herbal Skin
Treatment or Pau D'Arco Lotion)
SUGAR INTAKE LINKED TO DEVELOPMENT OF GALLSTONES
Why do some people develop gallstones while others don't? According to Italian
researchers, one reason might be the amount of refined sugar they eat.
The gall bladder is the storage organ for bile salts--those cholesterol-based
substances that help with the digestion and absorption of dietary fats.
Gallstones are crystals or clumps of cholesterol that cause pain when the gall
bladder contracts in response to food entering the intestines--pain that can be
severe enough to cause hospitalization.
According to Tufts University, a preliminary study conducted in southern Italy
found that people who ate 400 calories or more of refined sugar each day were
three times more likely to suffer from gallstones as those who ate no more than
260 calories of the sweet stuff a day. Those who consumed at least 600 calories
from sugar were six times more likely to develop gallstones.
Refined sugars are contained in foods such as cakes, cookies, soft drinks, and
table sugar. A 12-ounce can of cola contains 152 calories (all from sugar),
while 32 ounces of cola and 12 1/2 teaspoons of table sugar each contain 400
calories from sugar.
This study also confirmed the relationship between excess weight and gallstone
risk reported by other researchers, and it reported that both saturated fat and
total caloric intake were linked to the tendency to develop gallstones.
Although it is too soon to say whether excessive amounts of sugar actually cause
gallstone formation, keeping your sugar intake under control is certainly a good
idea. And this study provides one more good reason to keep your weight and
intake of saturated fats in line as well.
Joan Carter, RD/LD, MBA is a licensed registered dietitian. She is currently the
senior nutrition communications specialist at the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition
Research Center of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine where she writes
extensively about nutrition research, healthy eating, and the role of nutrition
in health.
TODAY'S TIP: DIETING AND THE FORMATION OF GALLSTONES
You can gain significant benefits from dieting--besides losing those excess
pounds. Many people can reduce their blood pressure and cholesterol level by
simply lessening their food intake. However, if you are considering a diet
program that requires a low intake of calories, you should be aware that during
periods of rapid or substantial weight loss, your risk of developing gallstones
increases.
Gallstones are clumps of solid material, mostly cholesterol, that form in the
gallbladder, a small pear-shaped organ located under the liver in the abdomen.
The gallbladder contracts and releases bile, a fluid made in the liver that aids
in digestion. Bile contains substances called bile salts that help break down
fats in the food we eat. Bile also helps eliminate cholesterol from the body via
the digestive system.
Researchers believe that dieting causes an imbalance of bile salts and
cholesterol in the gallbladder. The level of bile salts decreases, while
cholesterol levels increase. Additionally, going for long periods without
eating, as dieters often do, decreases gallbladder contraction, resulting in the
formation of gallstones as the bile is not able to be released.
Gall Bladder Cleanse
Shopping List:
Lemons
Apple juice, unfiltered, organic
Virgin, cold-pressed olive oil
1 bottle of Gallbladder Formula
1 bottle of Hydrangea (breaks up stones)
1 bottle of LBS II (lower bowel formula)
Plan your week’s cleanse so that you an be at home on the seventh day.
For 6 days take the following with water mixed with freshly squeezed lemon
juice:
5 capsules Hydrangea - 3 times a day
3 capsules Gallbladder Formula - 3 times a day
3 capsules LBS II -
3 times a day
On the seventh day fast, drinking all the apple juice you like. Take 2 capsules
of LBS II - 3 times a day. At bedtime on the seventh day, blend:
8 ounces apple juice (orange or grapefruit juice may be used instead)
1/4 cup each olive oil and fresh lemon juice (For more forceful cleanse use ½
cup each)
2-3 ice cubes (optional)
Drink Quickly. Go to bed at once. Sleep on the right side. Most case studies
report that the stones pass during the next 12 to 24 hours. You may hear them
clinking against a porcelain toilet bowl. If you pass stones, you may want to
repeat the cleanse at 2 month intervals until you no longer pass stones.
Sick Gall Bladder Profile:
Female
Fat
Forty
Flatulent
LIVER-GALLBLADDER FLUSH
Take Gallbladder Formula (2capsules 3 times per day) for 2-4 weeks to prepare
for the cleanse and lessen the pain.
FIRST DAY: Upon arising, take 16 ounces of unsweetened, unfiltered apple juice.
Every two hours, take 8 ounces of apple juice and 2 or more Red Beet Formula. Do
not eat any foods. If you begin to feel weak, headachy or too hungry, take more
Red Beet Formula. Every four hours, take 1 Cascara Sagrada to stimulate bile
flow and keep the colon moving. If you do not have at least two bowel movements,
take a colonic or enema. It is MOST important that the bowel be kept open! If
you get diarrhea, take less Cascara Sagrada. All day you should drink a minimum
of ½ gallon of apple juice (plus any other liquids you desire.)
SECOND DAY: Repeat the first day.
One-half hour before bedtime take 2-4 ounces of Virgin Olive Oil mixed with 2 or
more ounces of fresh lemon or grapefruit juice. Pour from one glass to another
at least twenty times to mix well before drinking. Drink with a straw to cut the
taste, if necessary. Repeat ½ hour later. Go to bed and sleep on the right side.
Take an enema if nauseated. With in 24 hours you should expel stones, mucous or
sludge through the bowel. This treatment should be repeated in 14 days for best
results.
AFTER THE FLUSH: For continued support take Liver Cleanse Formula or Gallbladder
Formula, two per meal. This will enhance your digestion and continue the
cleansing and building process.
Go to my personal
NATURE'S SUNSHINE site for your Personal "Health Analysis".
You may
also check on product information, ordering and become a member for FREE.
Contact: Karen Olerich, Herb Specialist and Natural Health Consultant
Phone: (719) 495-4930
E-mail:
Karen
