Gallbladder stones are formed in the gallbladder and are sometimes lodged in its tube ducts. The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ attached to the liver, which concentrates and stores bile. Bile is a digestive fluid continually released from the liver to break down fat and acid in half-digested foods. Gallbladder stones are mostly made up of cholesterol. When you consume too much cholesterol, compounds in the bile crystallize in the gallbladder, creating small, hard rocks called gallstones. In this article you will learn how to lower your cholesterol in order to naturally dissolve and prevent gallstones.
Take ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) tablets. Ascorbic acid converts cholesterol to bile acids. With less cholesterol levels and more bile acids, the gallstones will naturally dissolve slowly. You can take Vitamin C supplements as well as foods rich in Vitamin C such as oranges, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and broccoli.
Consume lecithin supplements. Lecithin is a lipid substance that aids in the breakdown of fat molecules from food and helps dissolve and prevent the formation of gallstones. Aside from lecithin supplements, eat foods that are rich in lecithin including tofu, lentils and grains.
Alter your diet. Reduce or eliminate the consumption of fried and fatty foods such as meat products and pastries. These types of foods are saturated in unhealthy cholesterol. The faster you lessen or eliminate your intake of these foods, the faster your liver can balance out the cholesterol levels, which in turn will dissolve any gallstones and prevent future ones from forming.
Drink 12 glasses of water every day. Water plays a vital role in dissolving gallstones. Since our body is made of mostly water, it is important that you maintain the balance of cells, enzymes and hormones. Water flushes out toxins through sweat, including unwanted cholesterol, which in turn dissolves the gallstones.
Eat food rich in fiber. Fiber binds cholesterol, bile and fatty acids together to form stool. It makes the stool bulkier and assists transporting cholesterol out of your body as waste, thereby slowly breaking down any gallstones in the gallbladder. Foods rich in fiber include oatmeal, wheat bread, corn and figs.
References
- Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment; Stephen J. McPhee, MD ; 2006
- Getting Gallstone Relief
Resources
Writer Bio
Frank Dioso is a trained medical technologist working for prominent research institutions such as Quest Diagnostics and California Clinical Trials. He has, for many years, ghostwritten clinical trial reports for confidential pharmaceutical drugs and is currently contributing his clinical laboratory science knowledge to online how-to articles.
