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1. Gallbladder Problems and what they do to Your Health
2. Numb Feet, Toes & Leg
3. Foods that Can Cause Neuropathy (or makes yours worse)
4. 5 Antifungals in Your Spice Rack

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Gallbladder Problems and what they do to your Health with thanks to dr jockers.com

Not having a fully functional gallbladder can lead to problems.

Here are 4 Major Functions of Bile

1) Fatty Acid Metabolism: Bile salts are critical for the emulsification of dietary fats into bioavailable fatty acids. Without adequate bile production and utilization, one will have trouble digesting fats and fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E, K.

2) The Excretion of Waste Products: The liver’s job is to metabolize and deactivate toxins and bile grabs the toxins and helps bring them through the digestive tract and out in the stool. Bile also helps to encourage the peristaltic action of the intestines which drives fecal matter through and out of the body.

3) Kill off Bad Microbes: The small intestine should normally not have a lot of bacteria in it and this is partly due to the presence of bile salts. Salts are a natural preserving agent that reduce bacterial fermentation. Poor bile production can lead to increased bacterial fermentation and the development of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), Candida or parasitic overgrowth.

4) Blood Sugar Metabolism: Bile is needed to break down fatty acids for good fat metabolism. Poor fat metabolism will cause blood sugar instability. Additionally, bile receptors help to regulate lipid (fat) and carbohydrate metabolism as well as the inflammatory response. The bile acids then activate these receptors.

What are the possible symptoms

1) Nausea and Vomiting: Any disruption in the digestive tract can result in a feeling of nausea and vomiting at times. This is a common issue with poor bile motility.

2) Fatty/Greasy Stools: Poor bile release leads to a failure to effectively emulsify fats in the diet and leads to undigested fat being excreted in the stool.

3) Pain Between the Shoulder Blades: The liver and gallbladder themselves do not feel pain, but the nerves that innervate them also go into the muscles in the back. In particular, the area just under the right shoulder blade.

4) Abdominal Pain: When the liver and gallbladder are inflamed, it can cause swelling, distension and pain throughout the abdominal region. Sometimes the whole rib cage will feel sore or just “awkward,” due to the distension.

5) Chronic Gas and Bloating: Poor bile production will lead to poor bowel motility and microbial overgrowth and fermentation. The fermentation process leads to gas production which can cause bloating and cramping.

6) Itchy Skin: This is also called pruritis. When the gallbladder is obstructed it leads to a rise in a compound called autotaxin (ATX) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) which causes the characteristic itching (7).

7) Yellowing of the Skin: Bilirubin is a yellow pigment and when the body is unable to metabolize bilirubin effectively, it ends up seeping into the tissues near the skin. This is a condition called jaundice.

8) Headaches and Migraines: Gall bladder congestion can cause stress on the body and more gut based inflammation. Both of these mechanisms can increase tension in the blood supply around the skull and brain and lead to headaches and migraines.

9) Constipation and Diarrhea: Poor bile motility will slow down the peristaltic action of the intestines resulting in a greater degree of constipation and often times alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation.

10) Light Colored Stools: The bilirubin in bile helps to create the classic browning of the stool. If you are noticing lighter colored stools frequently it may be due to poor bile function.

11) Sexual Dysfunction: Sluggish biliary function can cause a decrease in overall sex hormone balance as the liver metabolizes the steroid hormones estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. As a result, the individual may have issues with menstrual function, sexual function and fertility.

12) Bitter Taste in Mouth: This will often happen after meals and is due to bile regurgitation.

13) Fibromyalgia: This condition of chronic pain is often due in part to low hydrochloric acid and a sluggish liver and gallbladder.

14) Hypothyroidism: Individuals with hypothyroidism will typically have a sluggish biliary system. It is hard to say what comes first, but they do feed into each other.