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A bowl of double dark chocolate ice-cream before bed comforts the soul, but could also lead to a gallbladder jammed with stones. About 1/2 a million people a year lose their gallbladder due to stones. 10% of all medical spending a year in the US is spent on gallbladder removal. When you repeatedly indulge in heavy foods like cheesecake, pizza, candy, steak, fries and other such rich foods - your fluids start to thicken. They become like sludge or molasses. This sets up the conditions for stone formation and eventually, a painful gallbladder attack.
A gallbladder attack can be a life threatening situation. It happens when sludge or a dislodged stone blocks your bile ducts. Painful pressure builds up in this system, and makes you feel like you are about to get a heart attack. Gallbladder attacks often come the night of a celebration or holiday, or a binge at your favorite fast food restaurant. These foods cause your liver & gallbladder to work extra hard, and release lots of bile.
Years ago, I had a roommate who knocked on my door in the middle of the night. He'd been sleeping for hours since attending a Passover Seder celebration with friends. By 2am, he woke up intense colicky pain in the midriff and nausea. His pain would come and go in waves. He was scared and could hardly breathe. He thought he was having a mild heart attack so we took him to the emergency room. Sure enough, his gallbladder was full of thick sludge and his biliary system was congested. Luckily, there were no stones and we were able to treat this condition with herbs.
The gallbladder's sole purpose in life is to concentrate and thicken your bile (a fluid that helps in fat digestion). If your fluids are too thick because of a rich, carb heavy or sweet diet, the contents of your gallbladder turn to sludge, then paste, and finally to stones.
Reversing Gallbladder Disease Naturally
It's important to nip this condition in the bud before these stones form. Once you have gallstones, they are difficult to dissolve and remove. If you have sludge only, there's still time to save your gallbladder. Ayurveda offers many diet and herb remedies for healthy bile production.
Many clients are rushed into gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy), even when they only have bile sludge. Those people who have the gallbladders removed often have the same symptoms after the surgery. Stones should be immediately removed when they are large and obstructing the bile duct, or threatening to rupture the gallbladder or inflame the pancreas.
Bile
If you suspect your gallbladder is full of sludge, like my old roommate's, consider taking some steps to clean your gallbladder and thin your bile. Replace refined biscuits and bread with fiber rich whole grains, fruits and veggies. Favor proteins over carbs. A protein rich diet forms more bile acids which lessen the chance of gallstone formation. Replace hot wings with lean proteins like nuts. Nuts are high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats which are the preferred fats in gallbladder protection.
Next are cholagogues. What's a cholagogue you say? Cholagogues stimulate the flushing of bile out of your gallbladder. Exactly what you're looking to do! Beets and bitters like kale, dandelion, arugula, chicory and aloe vera juice all fall into this category. Garlic and onion purges the liver and gallbladder as does vegetable juicing. The sour flavor of lemons, grapefruit and vinegar is also sludge-busting. The sour taste of plain yogurt makes it a cholagogue, and an excellent replacement to cheese or milk. Cholagogues are contraindicated in large stones that may obstruct the bile duct.
Plenty of water is the best way to keep fluids thin and moving. Bitter or aromatic herbs like mint, fennel and cardamom also serve to thin the bile out. Turmeric is an ideal biliary antispasmodic and blood thinner. As pungent spices heat up the liver, they increase production of bile, flushing out the system. Exercise can help too. Finally your gallbladder's well being offers the gazillionth reason to quit smoking.
Related Conditions
Bile Sludge - When bile becomes thick and sluggish. This condition frequently precedes gallstone development.
Biliary Dyskinesia - A condition where movement of bile through the bile duct is partially or completely obstructed. Obstructed bile can back up into the liver causing inflammation. Pregnant women are at risk of reduced bile flow (cholestasis) due to high hormone levels.
Bile Insufficiency - When inadequate bile is released into the small intestine, due to the conditions above. Causes stool to be light colored.
Cholecysitis - Inflammation of the gallbladder due to irritation from gallstones
Cholangitis - Inflammation of the bile duct.
Biliary Colic - Spasms of the bile duct that occur due to obstruction, similar to a gallbladder attack.
Biliary Cirrhosis - A fibrotic condition that results from inflammation of the bile duct.
All conditions of biliary dyskinesia can quickly become life threatening and require immediate treatment by a qualified western medical doctor. Antispasmodics such as mint, chamomile, and wild yam are traditional remedies for this condition but do not replace a visit to the emergency room. Biliary dyskinesia generally results from:
Obstruction from gallstones or bile sludge
Inflammation of the duct, causing the lumen to narrow
Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Gallstones / Attack'.
Individual results vary depending the cause of your imbalance and by constitution.
Please research the ingredients below to find which are most helpful for you, and check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
We will use this information to better predict food that helps you.
Cholagogue
CHOLAGOGUE
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
The term "bland taste" refers, in Chinese medicine, to food containing few macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy. These may be compared to negative calorie foods.
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells.
The term "bland taste" refers, in Chinese medicine, to food containing few macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy. These may be compared to negative calorie foods.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body.
The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care.
Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
Balance Your Body with Diet, Herbs, & Lifestyles Having These Biocharacteristics
Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using biocharacteristics (gunas).
Biocharacteristics are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body.
Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism.
Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism.
For 'Gallstones / Attack', you should select foods with the following biocharacteristics.
Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.
FOODS TO FAVOR
MATCH WITH YOUR WELLNESS PROFILE
CLEAR
ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC
Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells.
GALLSTONES / ATTACK IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE #3 - ATTACKING TISSUE
If you have symptoms in this category it means that your imbalances are becoming stronger and weakening your body's resistance.
Most people have a weakness in one or more organs.
These areas of weakness are the 'weak link in the chain.'
They are first to succumb when an imbalance reaches a tipping point.
Repairing imbalances in this category often represent your last opportunity to prevent disease.
At any moment, these imbalances could overwhelm weakened tissue and develop into a disease.
You may feel pain or discomfort in the weakened area.
At this stage you will need to support the weakened tissue with specialized foods and herbs for the weakened tissue.
(See all disease stages on JB)
AVOID DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS THAT AGGRAVATE THESE EFFECTS
According to Ayurveda, one or more of the following
doshas
and biocharacteristics may aggravate 'Gallstones / Attack'.
If you have an excess of one of these doshas or biocharacteristics below, Ayurveda recommends reducing foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate them.
Click on the biocharacteristic to learn what foods and
lifestyle habits should be reduced.
Symptoms Tell A Story
The first step to healing is learning patterns from your symptoms.
Symptoms are clues that reveal underlying imbalances.
Symptoms show you where your body is weakened.
Ultimately, all disease has a root in tissues too weak to defend itself.
Ayurveda describes these patterns of weakness using doshas & biocharacteristics.
If you notice a biocharacteristic or dosha appears next to many of your symptoms,
it helps you establish a pattern that may be systemic.
AVOID GOOEY FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE GALLSTONES / ATTACK
FIND OUT
Status Unknown
Take these quizzes
to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Gooey' guna.
OILY
ABOUT OILY BIOCHARACTERISTIC
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
Are you prone to a problem with 'Gallstones / Attack'?
Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Blood and Circulation by taking the
free blood and circulation quiz:
The following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Gallstones / Attack'.
See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type.
Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them.
Risk Factor: 80% more often Complication: +1.8 times as often
Please login or create a free account to see research statistics filtered on Gallstones / Attack and Abdominal pain worse after eating.
Biocharacteristics of 1,914 People Reporting Gallstones / Attack
On average the biocharacteristics
of people reporting Gallstones / Attack were more aggravated than 77% of other symptoms.
From the 1,914 people who reported Gallstones / Attack
average deviation in biocharacteristic levels were the following:
Please login or create a free account to see research statistics filtered on Gallstones / Attack and Astringent.
4.5% avg client level
20.9% (400) of cases
8,068 have Astringent constitution
Risk Factors of Gallstones / Attack
Below you will see general risk factors as well as the greatest risk factors, i.e. those who were also more likely to report Gallstones / Attack.
Overall, 4.95% of people surveyed reported Gallstones / Attack.
Please login or create a free account to see research statistics filtered on Gallstones / Attack and Unable to exercise due to Injury, disease, breathlessness, etc.
Please login or create a free account to see research statistics filtered on Gallstones / Attack and Restricting Food Intake.
923 cases with both
+1.7 times more likely
48% of cases
28.12% (15,613 cases)
WHAT'S NEXT?
DISCOVER YOUR BODY WITH YOUR FREE INDIVIDUALIZED BODY MAP
Find ideal foods, herbs and lifestyle tips.
See your imbalances, and locate intervention points.
Your body map contains a complete analysis of your Ayurvedic imbalances, organ by organ.
Give your chart to your functional medical doctor or any alternative health practitioner.
Ayurveda strengthens the body while opposing disorders. It takes a holistic,
systemic approach that looks at the whole body. Ayurveda
shows how to interpret signs and symptoms of imbalance, and how to address them
using diet, lifestyle adjustments, and herbs. It shows a person how to optimize their health on a continual basis. You can't
take the doctor home with you, but you can take Ayurveda home with you.
Ayurveda is the most advanced and easy to use home system for self healing.
HOW DOES AYURVEDA WORK?
Ayurveda starts by identifying your body type,
which identifies certain tendencies in your body to get sick (as well as identifying your strengths).
It uses body type to determine the likely root causes of your disorders.
Next, Ayurveda analyzes the nature of your disorder.
It fits all your signs and symptoms into a pattern, expressed as a combination of biocharacteristics (gunas).
For example, you may have a heat disorder, a cold disorder, or an oily disorder, etc.
This simple categorical approach shows you how to correct systemic imbalances and strengthen your body as a whole.
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics.
By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened
and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease
are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies -
such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance
your healing.
GET STARTED
To get started on your Ayurvedic journey, we first recommend that your find your body
type by taking our free quiz. In Ayurveda, every solution is based on your unique body type, so
by taking this quiz, you’ll get the best results.
5 WAYS TO HEAL YOUR BODY WITH AYURVEDA - FREE REPORT!
New to Ayurveda? Not sure how Ayurveda can help you?
This free report shows you 5 simple ways you can heal your body with Ayurveda.
It shows you simple, practical ways manage your health.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy,
& botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
Comments & Personal Experiences
How does 'gallstones / attack' affect your quality of life?
What aggravates it? What has helped you? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'gallstones / attack'?
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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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Ayurvedic Perspective on Gallstones / Attack
Stage of Imbalance (Samprapti)
Diet Remedies by Dosha, Biocharacteristics (Guna), Action, etc.
Herb Remedies by Dosha, Guna, Action, etc.
Biocharacteristics & Herb Actions to Favor
Biocharacteristics to Avoid
Related Symptoms
Live Report: Biocharacteristics
Live Report: Risk Factors
Live Report: Complications
Comments and reviews
Example 1: 
A gallbladder attack can be a life threatening situation. It happens when sludge or a dislodged stone blocks your bile ducts. Painful pressure builds up in this system, and makes you feel like you are about to get a heart attack. Gallbladder attacks often come the night of a celebration or holiday, or a binge at your favorite fast food restaurant. These foods cause your 
Bile
