School of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion
New Ayurveda Herbalist Course: Get a $1,500 Scholarship
Recipes
Food
Create Your Diet
Recent Articles (Blog)LIVER GALLBLADDER HEALTH REMEDIES
|
The liver gallbladder is called Yakrit & Pittakosha in Ayurveda.  Deficient LiverThe liver and kidneys are the organs that "age" us. When your liver is deficient, your blood plasma becomes dry and loses both oiliness and sweetness. A Vata condition, your blood will be thin and lacking in fats, proteins, and sugar. Nourishment to your tendons and blood vessels is curtailed, your joints become stiff, and muscles become spasmodic and numb. A deficient liver can aggravate anxiety & worry. Liver deficiency can also create shakiness and erratic emotions. Most nutrients pass through your body without being assimilated if the liver is weak. In this case your liver should be restored and nourished.Liver Deficiency in strongest in Autumn. The most likely time of liver deficiency is August through September. Foods to nourish and restore the liver
Congested LiverWhen your blood plasma is too rich with sugars, fats, or proteins, your blood becomes thick and the lymphatic system congested. Due to the thickness and richness of blood, your liver and gallbladder (Pittakosha) become congested, a Kapha condition. A congested liver leaves you feeling sluggish, the muscles flabby and lacking in tone, and causes weight gain. Liver congestion creates suppression of emotions. As the gallbladder becomes stagnant, there may be sludge or gallstones. In this case the liver should be cleansed with cholagogues. Eliminate all liver and kidney weakening foods such as white flour, white sugar, dairy especially cheese & ice-cream, & deep fried foods. Avoid cold drinks and foods which chill the liver and kidneys.Liver congestion is most likely in the the spring. In early spring the body begins to release winter fat into the blood. The enriched blood becomes thick, causing stagnation and congestion of the liver & gallbladder. Gallbladder attacks are more common in early spring so favor cholagogues at that time in your diet to flush out bile sludge. You may experience waves of bitterness, discouragement and a sense of failure in February. Try not to take these 'liver' emotions too seriously. Instead, these emotions offer an important cue. February is the month of liver bitterness. February comes at the bitter end of winter, the time of ashes. The natural environment offers slim pickings this time of year and the pantry is nearly bare. Early spring is the hardest month for animals in the wild. Anxiously awaiting the hope and promise of spring, lovers will make a last ditch effort on Valentine's Day to resurrect the dying embers of affection. Cholagogues, Gallbladder & Liver CleansingCholagogues encourage the gallbladder to release bile, and the the liver to produce and dilute bile. This action cleanses both the liver and gallbladder, and helps to prevent gallstones. Since bile is fatty and the primary pathway for cholesterol metabolism, releasing bile also reduces cholesterol and boosts fat metbolism. Cholagogues directly reduce triglycerride levels in the blood. Cholagogues include anything bitter or sour. Some famous examples include.Toxic LiverThe liver is responsible for neutralizing toxicity. Sources of toxicity and liver stress could be due to environmental toxins, recreational drug use, chronic infection, or fermentation of food in the digestive tract. If the liver lacks the strength to detoxify the blood, the toxins will be released through the kidneys & skin, causing rashes, & bladder infections. A toxic liver can make a person angry and aggressive. Avoid tomatoes & gourds which have mild toxicity. If the source of liver toxicity is fermentation in the small intestine, the intestines should be cleaned with triphala, amalaki, or haritaki.The Liver, Inflammation & HeatThe liver and gallbladder are generally the home of Pitta dosha. The liver is an irritable organ. The first sign of liver irritation are stinging eyes, aggression and intense emotions such as anger, jealousy, and envy. Advanced signs include yellow hands or eyes, or other heat related conditions such as rashes. In hepatitis or liver inflammation, liver enzyme levels in the blood are elevated because of the ruptured liver cells which contain high contents of liver enzymes. Avoid citrus fruits, cinnamon, chocolate, caffeine and other hot, spicy foods that irritate the liver. Avoid tomatoes and reduce any conditions that increase the toxic burden on the liver. The summer is the most likely time of liver heat & irritation.When the gallbladder cannot release bile properly, the stools will be light colored or gray. Read more about liver & gallbladder. Lifestyle, foods and herbs that cool the liver:
Liver & EmotionsWhen balanced, the liver regulates the graceful flow of blood physically and emotions mentally. The liver is the most emotionally sensitive organ and its weakness is often connected to emotional instability. The liver, when disturbed, is emotionally reactive and sensitive. It is a proud organ and easily insulted by intensity and imperfection. Pitta drive & discipline often aggravates and exhausts the liver, with the result that Pitta is Ayurveda's most volatile dosha. Pleasant, soothing remedies help calm a distrustful, paranoid liver.Liver and BloodIn Ayurveda, the liver is said to generate the red part of the blood (rakta dhatu). Yet, western medicine says blood is made in the bone marrow. How can these differences be resolved? Bile components are produced in the liver from broken down red blood cells (a mala or waste product of blood). Some of these bile components are released into the blood, which "heats" up the blood as bile components are generally a bit irritating. When excess, these bile components can also cause some yellow discoloration of the skin, eyes, and teeth, a condition called choleric heat in Greek medicine. This 'heat' can be said to active the blood, and even blood production. Thus, the liver creates rakta.In this process, the liver and spleen have a functional relationship. The spleen is said to store red blood cells, and can be compared metaphorically to a "sack of rubies." The liver, on the other hand, regulates blood sugar and sugar storage, and can be compared to a "sack of potatoes." This is why the liver gets fatty when the diet is rich. To recap, the liver creates heat in blood plasma (rasa) which is yellow in color. This heat stimulates rakta, which is red in color. The spleen is pure rakta. The function of rakta is to supply oxygen to all the cells, which keeps metabolism strong, as a fire burning brightly. ConclusionThe liver is called the liver because it is essential for living. Your ability to assess and maintain liver health is essential to your well-being.Herbal Actions Affecting Liver Gallbladder
Don't know your body type? Take our free Dosha quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
33 likes Normally, you cannot feel your liver. However, when the liver is inflamed, you may notice soreness in the area. A liver abcess, such as Amebic liver abcess, can cause dull pain on right side of the body just above the abdomen and behind the right rib... 28 likes The body releases toxins through the digestion, urine, skin & lungs. Rashes may result when there are too many toxins, or the liver becomes otherwise aggravated. Some rashes may be infectious and require a visit to a medical doctor. All rashes are a... 17 likes Yellowish skin can be a sign of liver distress and excess bilirubin in the blood. This may come from Vata deficiency, or an infectious process (Pitta). If the skin becomes very yellow, it is a sign of jaundice and should be treated immediately. 19 likes A yellow tongue indicates the liver is overwhelmed and excess bilirubin in the blood. It is often a sign of inflammation or infection somewhere in the body. 16 likes In hepatitis or liver inflammation, liver enzyme levels in the blood are elevated because of ruptured liver cells which contain high contents of liver enzymes. Many people with hepatitis are unable to digest wheat, broccoli, beans, and other difficult...   (1.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 25 likesThe spleen has two main functions in the body. The first is to filter the blood by removing microbes as well as dead or damaged red blood cells. The spleen also produces white blood cells for the immune system. Ayurveda considers the spleen (along with... 18 likes Alcohol sensitivity could indicate liver weakness. Liver is weakened by the presence of chronic toxicity due to stress, intense emotions, infection, gas, or bloating. (4.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 38 likesIntroduction Do people think of you as being hypersensitive and reactive - to food, chemicals, emotions, or situations that don't go your way? Food and chemical sensitivity can impact your life satisfaction in many difficult ways.... 73 likes Gall bladder inflammation may imply presence of sludge, a gall stone, cancer or obstruction of the biliary ducts, among other conditions. 109 likes Gallbladder removal surgery is called a cholecystectomy. When bile gets thick, heavy, and sticky, gall stones from. Since Kapha people tend to have thicker fluids than the other doshas, they are prone to gallstones and the most likely candidates for a... 34 likes 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 gall bladder due to stones. 10% of all medical spending a year in the US is... 14 likes While yellow or green stool indicates quick transit time through the bowels. A light brown stool may be lacking sufficient bile, a sign of Vata type dryness in the liver. Eating more leafy greens, sours, and staying hydrated can help increase the...  MORE BLOOD AND CIRCULATION TIPSDISCLAIMER: 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. HOW AYURVEDA WORKSARE YOU WONDERING HOW AYURVEDA CAN HELP YOU?WHY IS AYURVEDA THE RIGHT SOLUTION?Ayurveda strengthens the body, in addition to addressing the disorder. It take a holistic, systemic approach, instead of focusing only on the disorder in question. Ayurveda shows a person how to interpret signs and symptoms of imbalance, and how to address them using materials from home, so they can 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 with an exceptional focus on digestion.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 biocharaceristics (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 STARTEDTo 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. |
SAVE SYMPTOM
BOOKS BY JOYFUL BELLY
Get Ayurveda's approach to food cravings & emotional eating for balanced weight and health.
Join Joyful Belly.
Want our top Ayurvedic recipes and health tips?Subscribe to our free newsletter!