A Safe and Effective Gallbladder Cleanse

Gallbladder Cleanse

There is a lot written online about the gallbladder cleanse or gallbladder flush with proponents claiming that it can effectively rid your gallbladder of stones. There are numerous popular cleanses available most of which involve consuming a combination of fruit, herbs and olive oil over the course of several days.

However, at the outset it is worth noting that there is absolutely no scientific evidence that these cleanses can help relieve and treat gallstones. Despite the lack of actual evidence, proponents of the gallbladder cleanse claim that their preferred cleanses can help stimulate the gallbladder and break down the stones allowing them to pass easily in the stools.

There is certainly evidence that solid looking lumps can be found in the stools following a gallbladder cleanse however analysis typically reveals that these lumps are not stones but lumps composed of the oil and juice consumed during the cleanse.

Despite the official skepticism, gallbladder cleanses are becoming increasingly popular and in this article we will look at some of the most common recipes and plans.

One-week Gallbladder Cleanse Recipe

What you will need

Plenty of apples and apple juice
Epsom salts
Half a cup of olive oil
A large grapefruit or 3 large lemons

Days 1 to 5

For the first five days before beginning the cleanse in earnest, you are required to eat as many apples and drink as much good quality unsweetened apple juice as you are able to manage as well as eating your regular meals.

Day 6

Make sure that you eat only a light breakfast without any fat which should help the accumulation of bile in the liver and gallbladder and create the pressure necessary to relieve any stones.
During the early afternoon, mix 4 tablespoons of Epsom salt into 3 cups of distilled water and put the contents into a container like a bottle or jar. Make sure that you refrigerate your Epsom salt mixture. Do not consume any food or drinks between 2.00 and 6.00.
At 6.00 in the evening drink up three quarters of a cup of your Epsom salt mixture. You can expect it to taste terrible but you should not add any flavoring or sweetener to the mix.
At 8.00 the same evening, drink another three quarters of a cup of your Epsom salt mix and make sure that you relax fully in preparation for the flush.
At 9.30 that evening, pour half a cup of your olive oil in a container and add the juice of your whole grapefruit to the same container. Mix the juice and olive oil up thoroughly. You can substitute your grapefruit for the juice of three lemons.
At 10.00 the same evening, drink up the grapefruit and olive oil mixture. This may be difficult to stomach but try to get it all down in 5 minutes at most.
Now you need to lay down immediately and it is important to do absolutely nothing else. Try to get into a relaxed position in bed on your right side with your knees towards the chin. Try to get to sleep in this position.

Day 7

You have finally arrived at the last day of your cleanse. As soon as you wake on the final day, drink another three quarter cup of your Epsom salt mixture.
Later that morning, around 2 hours later, drink the remainder of the Epsom salts.
2 hours after you have drunk your final dose of Epsom salt, you can start to drink normal liquids again then slowly progress onto fruit before resuming your normal diet.

What Effects are you Likely to Experience?

The olive oil and grapefruit (or lemon) mixture may make you feel nauseous temporarily.
Stimulation of the gallbladder during the later stages of the cleanse may cause slight discomfort in the gallbladder region just below the rib cage on the right of your abdomen.
On the final day, you may feel a change in your bowel movements and the need to defecate more often.
You may notice material resembling peas in your stools. This may be nothing more than residue produced from the oil and other ingredients eaten during your cleanse or might be softened material excreted from the gallbladder prior to calcification.

Is it Safe?

The simple answer is possibly not. You should probably only undertake an extreme cleanse of this nature under medical supervision. There is a good chance that your doctor would recommend against it.

There are several stories online regarding stones getting stuck leading to emergency room visits after trying to flush themselves naturally. Make sure that you gather all the professional advice necessary before undertaking the gallbladder cleanse.

Gallbladder Cleanse Tea

If the process above looks and sounds a bit intimidating, there are many herbs and herbal teas which people recommend using to cleanse your gallbladder and liver. These include dandelion root tea, chamomile tea, and milk thistle (tea or herb).

You should drink these teas 5 times a day over a 21-day period several times each year or whenever you wish to perform a more gradual cleanse. As well as drinking herbal teas, try to avoid too much fat and eat plenty of fruit and flax-seed oil during the same period.

Going the tea Route is less drastic and much better as a preventative cleanse.

A final word.

I admit that I am slightly skeptical regarding the effectiveness of a gallbladder cleanse especially as it relates to ridding the body of gallstones. If you have ever tried a gallbladder cleanse of some sort, please let us know whether you thought it was effective and what recipe or plan that you followed.