The Gallstone Mistake That Leads to SURGERY (700,000 a Year)
In a Nutshell
Gallstones form from cholesterol imbalance due to insufficient bile salts, often triggered by low-fat/high-carb diets, sugar, starch, insulin spikes, estrogen, fatty liver, vitamin C/choline/magnesium deficiencies, and hypothyroidism—not dietary fat. Low-fat diets worsen the issue by preventing bile flow, while bile sludge precedes stones, causing right shoulder/back pain misdiagnosed as other problems; 700,000 annual gallbladder removals often leave symptoms unchanged or worse due to lost bile regulation. Prevent and dissolve via bile salts (e.g., TUDCA after meals), low-carb diet, nutrients like choline from egg yolks/beef liver, magnesium, vitamin C, and coffee; fat intake stimulates healthy bile release.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Every single year 700,000 people have their gallbladder removed. We treat the gallbladder as an extra organ that we don't need. Many people who get the surgery have similar or the same symptoms as before the surgery, and sometimes even worse. This video provides facts on what the gallbladder is, what causes gallstones, and how to prevent them.
Most people think gallstones come from eating a lot of greasy foods, too much fat, or high cholesterol. Low-fat diets are one of the single biggest triggers of gallstones.
The gallbladder is a little sack that hangs down from the liver. The liver makes bile, which trickles through bile ducts into the gallbladder. The gallbladder stores the bile, concentrates it, and regulates how much bile is extracted into the small intestine. It helps break down fats to extract fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin A, D, E, K and omega-3 fatty acids. The gallbladder concentrates bile so when it contracts, there's just the right amount to break down fat, allowing pancreatic enzymes to further process fat particles for absorption in the small intestine.
Myths Clarified
- Gallbladder does not make cholesterol; liver makes it and it drains into the gallbladder.
- Bile is made from cholesterol.
A gallstone is a combination of too much cholesterol and not enough bile salts—a super concentrated cholesterol stone due to imbalance.
Before a gallstone, bile sludge plugs up bile ducts, backs up pressure into the liver, causing pain on the right shoulder that radiates through the back, up the neck. This referred pain is often misdiagnosed as a shoulder problem. Even an MRI may not pick it up since it hasn't formed a stone yet.
The elephant in the room is missing bile salts—not producing enough bile for the amount of cholesterol. After gallbladder removal, bile storage and concentration are lost, weakening its effect on dietary fat. No regulation leads to too much bile flowing, causing diarrhea. Too much bile = diarrhea; not enough bile = constipation.
Common confusion: gallstones created by too much dietary fat—not true. More gallstones occur on low-fat diets because fat triggers bile production from the liver and gallbladder contraction into the small intestine. Without fat, everything backs up.
The real villain is sugar, hidden sugars, starch, too much insulin, high carb diets. High carb diets increase cholesterol production and inhibit bile production, leading to sludge and stones. Pre-diabetics and diabetics have much higher risk of gallstones than non-diabetics.
For sludge and right shoulder pain, take bile salts supplement (e.g., TUDCA—synthetic bile) after eating to allow sludge to pass through ducts, relieving fullness under right rib cage and discomfort. Take bile salts right after eating, not before, because they are alkaline and could neutralize stomach acid. Stomach acid triggers bile release; low stomach acid increases gallstone risk.
Understanding lack of bile, taking bile salts undoes sludge or gallstones, easing flow as a coping mechanism while fixing diet (lowering sugar/starch, low carb diet).
Possible to take enough purified bile salts to dissolve a stone, depending on size. Medical community uses bile salts for gallstones, available over-the-counter as supplements (some prescription).
Estrogen (birth control pills, estrogen therapy, pregnancy) increases gallstone risk by raising cholesterol and slowing gallbladder contraction, leading to more sludge and concentrated cholesterol.
Speaker had gallbladder problems in college: clogged with sludge (not stone), causing pressure under rib cage when eating fat. Real problem was sugar and starch consumed, not fat.
Refined sugars and carbohydrates lead to fatty liver, reducing bile production and contributing to gallstones.
- Vitamin C: Needed to convert cholesterol to bile salts; deficiency increases gallstone risk.
- Choline (B vitamin family): Helps dissolve gallstones; deficiency contributes. Good remedy for sludge/gallstones. Genetically common issue. Prevents fatty liver. Sources: beef liver, egg yolks.
- Magnesium: Helps valves work; deficiency causes bile backup into liver and referred right-side pain. Essential for normal contraction (relaxes smooth muscle).
Coffee is beneficial for liver bile production and overall function.
Hypothyroidism (slow thyroid) makes bile production and release sluggish.
Amazing non-surgical technique to quickly get rid of residual referred pain from sludge. Video on this topic available.
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