Gallstones are rock-like collections of material that form inside the gallbladder. Different types exist, and they are categorized by their primary composition; cholesterol stones are most common followed by pigment, then mixed stones. The stones form when there is an imbalance or change in the composition of bile...
Liver and gall health depends on the liver operating normally with bile being produced in accordance with the demands of a particular persons dietary habit and stored in the gall bladder to be emptied into the duodenum in the appropriate quantities to deal with the fat content of that diet.
Bile is a strong chemical substance that is alkaline (which is really the opposite to acid) and it is secreted by the Gall Bladder to break down fatty substances so they may be digested. Therefore the acidic content of the stomach chyme (the partially digested food being passed along the gastro intestinal tract) is neutralised by the bile and turned alkaline to allow fat to be broken down.
The emotional profile of a patient suffering from gall bladder problems is a person who has too much fatty food, who eats as a response to stress, and who is often resentful or bitter about certain aspects of their life circumstances or the actions of others. These sorts of emotions can overstimulate the liver and result in chemical changes in the bile being held in the gall bladder.
These chemical changes can result in either fatty substances depositing in the gall bladder forming so called Cholesterol Stones or calcium or other mineral substances depositing out forming Mineral or Calcium Stones.
These stones may end up blocking the bile duct (the tube leading from the gall bladder to the duodenum) and result in extreme pain as the gall bladder fills to its limits and contractions get stronger and stronger attempting to force bile through the blocked duct.
Dietary changes
Most folk suffering from gall attacks will already have worked out that fatty food aggravates the problem and will have reduced fat intake. They may however not have realised that milk or chocolate for example, are extremely fatty foods or that the cheese on pizza make them amongst the highest fat meals it is possible to have.
McDowells Products
The herbal mixture which is most suited to restoring to normal the chemistry of bile in the bile duct and dissolving calcium stones is a combination of: Pellitory of the Wall, Buchu, Equisetum, Uva Ursi, Rosehips, Dandelion, Golden Seal, Agrimony and St Mary's Thistle. The Bach Flower Remedies, which I include in this mix, are Oak, Willow, Vine, Rock water, and Rescue Remedy.
