Have you ever wondered “Do I really need my gallbladder?” or been told that gallbladder removal surgery is necessary? 

If you’re female, over forty, overweight, have had children, and have digestive discomfort after eating fatty foods, you may have been told you need to have your gallbladder removed.

But do you really?

Were you born with an extra, unnecessary organ? Did Mother Nature make a mistake?

This tiny organ may seem to cause a lot of trouble and many people do live without it. (I would argue that the gallbladder isn’t causing trouble – it’s doing the best it can under the lifestyle circumstances it’s been given.)

A superior question is “Does your body function better with or without the gallbladder?”

Yes, your body can function without a gallbladder, and many people undergo this surgery to avoid symptoms caused by gallstones or inflammation. But what are the health ramifications of this surgery? Keep reading to learn more about this organ, how it contributes to overall health, and what you can do to show it some love.

Key Takeaways

• While the gallbladder is not essential for survival, it does play a key role in digestion and detoxification.
• Gallstones and inflammation often lead to gallbladder removal.
• Surgery to remove the gallbladder has ramifications you might not be aware of.

What is the Gallbladder and What Does it Do?

The gallbladder (also called the cholecyst) is a small, pear-shaped organ located under your liver. It stores bile, which helps break down fats during digestion. This organ also plays roles in managing hormones and supporting the immune system.

Role of the Gallbladder in Digestion

Your gallbladder helps you digest the olive oil in your salad dressing at lunch and your guilty pleasure of rocky road ice cream. Throughout the day, it stores bile produced by the liver. When you eat, your body signals the cholecyst to release bile into the small intestine. This breaks fats down into smaller pieces, making them easier to digest. Without the gallbladder, your body still handles fats, but less efficiently. 

What Does Bile Do?

Bile is a yellow-green fluid produced in the liver that contains bile acids, cholesterol, and other components. Its main job is to break down fats in the small intestine. It also helps with absorbing calcium and fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. 

Beyond digestion, bile is alkaline and bacteriostatic, meaning it helps neutralize acid and control the growth of bacteria in the small intestine. 

Bile Acids and Metabolism

Bile Acids have recently been found to act as metabolic signaling agents.

Healthy bile acids have specific receptor proteins that allow them to control a multitude of metabolic functions. Improper concentration of the acids (as seen after surgery) impacts the activation of the receptors. This in turn influences metabolic processes and may lead to metabolic dysfunction.

The Gallbladder and the Immune System

While the gallbladder’s primary function is to assist digestion, it contributes to overall immune health because of its impact on bacterial balance in your gut.

• Antimicrobial properties of healthy bile help keep harmful bacteria in check in your digestive tract. This reduces the risk of infections and chronic conditions like SIBO. 
• Secretes specific proteins that regulate the microbiota and maintain intestinal homeostasis.
• Keeps pro-inflammatory bacteria under control. 

The Gallbladder and Hormones

The bile held in the gallbladder also plays a surprising but important role in managing hormones. 

Bile breaks down excess hormones like estrogen. Most people know that too much estrogen in your body can lead to health issues like PMS, headaches, and more. But did you know increased estrogen causes a reduction in bile flow called cholestasis? Now there’s less bile to break down excess estrogen, and this allows it to get further out of balance.

Bile also helps convert thyroid hormone T4 to T3, which is crucial for regulating metabolism. Without proper bile flow, these processes can be less effective, making you feel sluggish, sensitive to temperature changes, and irritable. 

If your gallbladder is removed, you may no longer have adequate bile “on demand” for your body’s needs.

Common Gallbladder Issues and Symptoms

Understanding gallbladder issues is essential for identifying symptoms early. This section reviews how to recognize problems like gallstones, bile sludge, and the effects of hormones and thyroid issues on bile flow.

Identifying Gallbladder and Bile Problems

Gallbladder issues may present with pain in the upper right abdomen or the right shoulder. This pain can be sudden and severe, especially after eating fatty foods. It may feel like an ice pick under your right ribs, or like a band of pressure all the way around your body at the level of your solar plexus. 

Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and gas are also common signs. 

You may even notice that your stool is lighter in color than usual, and it may float in the toilet instead of sinking to the bottom of the bowl. (Wow I get to talk about some fun stuff, don’t I?)

What is Bile Sludge?

Bile sludge is a mixture of bile, small cholesterol crystals, and calcium salts. This thick substance can form in the gallbladder and lead to blockages. Over time, it can cause inflammation and pain similar to gallstones.

Symptoms of bile sludge include discomfort after eating, nausea, and vomiting. Preventive measures like a healthy diet can reduce its occurrence. If you already have bile sludge, a gallbladder flush can remove it, and I can show you how.

What Are Gallstones?

Gallstones are solid particles that form in the gallbladder from bile, cholesterol and bilirubin. They can be as small as grains of sand or as large as golf balls. No matter how big or small, we celebrate every release!

Gallstones can cause severe pain, especially if they block the flow of bile or a duct. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and jaundice. Some people might not show symptoms until a gallstone blocks bile flow. 

High Estrogen and Cholestasis

High levels of estrogen, such as during pregnancy or hormone therapy, can affect bile flow. Increased estrogen can cause the bile to become thicker, have reduced flow (cholestasis), and more prone to forming gallstones.

This is why women, particularly those who are pregnant or on birth control, are at higher risk for gallbladder problems. Managing estrogen levels can help maintain healthy bile flow. 

Hypothyroidism and Bile Flow

Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones. This can slow down many bodily functions, including bile flow. Reduced bile flow can cause gallstones and other gallbladder issues. If you have hypothyroidism, monitoring your gallbladder health is crucial, and vice versa.

Symptoms of low thyroid function include:

• Fatigue where you wake up after a full night’s sleep and are still tired.
• Weight gain where the number on the scale doesn’t decrease no matter what you do.
• Low basal body temperature so you’re always cold, and your hands and feet feel like ice cubes.
• Depression that causes you to feel like you’ll never be happy.
• Skin so dry you constantly apply lotion to avoid looking like you have alligator skin.
• Brittle hair and nails that break easily regardless of the products you use.

What Complications Can Occur if I Have Gallbladder Removal Surgery?

When you have your cholecyst removed, several complications can arise. These include Bile Duct Injury, Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome, and digestive issues.

Bile Duct Injury

Injury to the hepatic ductal system is possible during cholecystectomy. While only found in 1.3% of all such surgeries, it’s “the most feared complication of cholecystectomy,” and can cause peritonitis and sepsis. 

Post Cholecystectomy Syndrome

One common issue is post cholecystectomy syndrome (PCS). The irony is that this condition can cause symptoms like those you had before surgery. These symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea. Some people may also experience bloating and gas. PCS can start shortly after surgery or even months or years later.

However, gallbladder problems often arise from underlying issues. If these root causes are not addressed, you may continue to experience symptoms even after surgery.

For instance, if your initial symptoms were caused by heavy metal exposure and parasites and compounded by a poor diet, removing the cholecyst is not going to fix the heavy metals, parasites, diet or the symptoms they created. 

Not only are the same causative factors still present, but they can arguably be more destructive without the protection of a healthy liver and gallbladder working in harmony.

Are you experiencing PCS, or a return of the symptoms of the root cause?

Diarrhea & Constipation After Gallbladder Surgery

Diarrhea and constipation are common after cholecyst removal. Diarrhea occurs because bile flows more directly into your intestines, which can irritate the lining. This can lead to frequent, watery stools that have you running to the nearest bathroom.

On the other hand, some people experience constipation due to changes in how food moves through their digestive system. Without the lubricant effect of bile, waste material moves sluggishly through your system and leaves you dreaming of a satisfying bowel movement.

Other Issues After Gallbladder Surgery

Some interesting research in mice models has demonstrated that after gallbladder removal surgery:

• There was an increase in serum triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (LDL) which speaks to a causal relationship between the surgery and later development of NAFLD.
• The surgery may promote certain cancers in the liver, stomach, pancreas, small intestine, kidney, and colon.
• Results in a loss of microbial diversity in the gut, specifically a decrease in the bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids and an increase in bacteria that promote inflammation.

Did you know about these potential consequences of cholecystectomy? (It’s not your fault – most surgeons don’t discuss them with their patients.) Next, let’s explore the functional changes that can occur.

What Functional Changes Happen Without a Gallbladder?

Survival without a gallbladder is possible, but many aspects of your health will be affected. These impacts stem from changes in the function of your body after gallbladder removal, such as digestive problems, impaired detox and immune function, and stone formation.

Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) is a possible functional consequence. The sphincter of Oddi is a small, round muscle that controls the flow of digestive juices into the small intestine. After cholecystectomy, this sphincter can sometimes become too tight or too loose and can’t perform its gatekeeper duties effectively. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain, bouts of pancreatitis, impaired hormone metabolism, and more. 

Dysregulated Digestion and Absorption of Nutrients

Without a gallbladder, the regulation of bile flow changes. After surgery, bile drips continuously into your intestines rather than being released on demand. This can lead to malabsorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Related symptoms of deficiencies could be:

• Vitamin A Deficiency: Difficulty seeing in the dark; acne
• Vitamin D Deficiency: Muscle weakness, impaired immune function; “pins and needles” sensation in hands and feet
• Vitamin E Deficiency: Brittle hair and nails; muscle weakness; decreased reflexes
• Vitamin K Deficiency: Increased bleeding; Sleepiness

The irritation of the constant drip of bile can lead to inflammation, and increased permeability of the tissue. This results in food sensitivities and  “Leaky Gut Syndrome,” where the waste materials leaving the body may be reabsorbed into the blood. Leaky Gut Syndrome can lead to an avalanche of systemic health issues, but it is preventable and fixable.

Impaired Detoxification

After cholecystectomy, your hepatic cells continue to produce bile. But without a gallbladder to store it, bile flow becomes inefficient. 

Impaired detoxification may occur, as your body relies on bile to remove toxins. If bile isn’t used effectively, you could accumulate parasites, heavy metals, and other toxins.

Impaired Immune Function

Bile plays a role in maintaining your gut lining and preventing small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). After gallbladder removal, you might experience an increased risk of dysbiosis or leaky gut, leading to impaired immune function. Your impaired immune function cultivates microbiome imbalances and encourages the development of SIBO.

Stone Formation

Even after surgery, stone formation can occur in the biliary duct or inside the liver, known as intrahepatic stones. These stones can obstruct bile flow, leading to pain and digestive issues. 

None of this sounds like my idea of a good time. Thankfully, your body has an incredible ability to heal. If you give it what it needs, it will work hard to recover. (Your body doesn’t like feeling worn out and run down any more than you do!)   Whether you need to make a decision about your gallbladder, or you’ve already had it removed, don’t give up on your body. 

Clearly cholecyst removal surgery has far-reaching health implications. While you can survive without a gallbladder, it will take you more work to feel and function well. No one can do it for you, but I can show you the way.

How Can I Help My Gallbladder?

Whether you’ve had your gallbladder removed, are trying to prevent surgery, or are looking to optimize your health, there are steps you can take to help your body. Focusing on specific dietary choices, proper hydration, certain herbs, and eliminating toxins from your environment can support gallbladder and bile health.

Dietary Choices to Support Your Gallbladder

What you eat has a big impact on your gallbladder and bile. Choose foods that are easy for your body to digest and absorb, and don’t forget this will be different from person to person.

• A nourishing diet rich in organic fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is essential. 
• Eliminate common dietary culprits such as gluten, dairy, artificial colorings or sweeteners, etc.
• Avoid fried and processed foods as these can contribute to gallstones and other cholecyst problems. 
• Lean proteins like chicken and wild-caught fish are better choices.
• Reduce sugars and refined carbs.

Hydration

Staying well-hydrated is crucial for good cholecyst function. Water helps keep bile in your gallbladder less concentrated, reducing the risk of stones. Aim for 8-10 glasses of water a day. Dehydration can lead to bile becoming too thick, which may cause blockages and gallstones. 

Herbs to Improve Bile Flow and Composition

Certain herbs can help improve the flow or the quality of bile you produce. They can be taken as teas or supplements.

• Turmeric
• Milk thistle
• Artichoke
• Dandelion Root
• Peppermint
• Ginger
• Burdock Root
• TUDCA and Ox Bile

Remove Chemicals and Toxins Exposure

Eliminating chemicals and toxins from your home can also benefit your gallbladder. Many household cleaners and personal care products contain harmful chemicals that can affect your overall health. Opt for natural, non-toxic products instead. Reducing your exposure to toxins can lessen the strain on your body, lowering the risk of infections and other complications. 

By making these small changes, you can start to improve your gallbladder health and reduce the risk of serious issues like cancer, pancreatitis, and tumors.

Conclusion

We’re back to where we started.

Is the gallbladder optional?

A superior question is “Does your body function better with or without the gallbladder?”

Hopefully this article has helped you to see that your body will absolutely function better with a healthy gallbladder.

Now that you know, let’s do this together! I invite you to join my Rapid Liver Reset waitlist so I can guide you through the process!

Frequently Asked Questions

Many people have concerns about cholecyst health and surgery. Here are some common questions and answers to help you understand more about this topic.

Do I have to have my gallbladder removed if I’m having symptoms?

Not necessarily. If you have symptoms, you may be able to unwind the issues with some dedicated focus and work.

Will removing my gallbladder resolve all my symptoms?

Removing your gallbladder may help relieve pain and discomfort, but it won’t remove underlying causes of liver or cholecyst dysfunction. The surgery may even create new symptoms.

Can a liver or gallbladder flush be beneficial?

Yes, a flush (when done properly as part of a detox) may help your body to function better. 

What are “bile builders?”

“Bile builders” are supplements or foods that support bile production and flow. These might include things like beets, artichokes, and dandelion greens. It’s best to include these in your diet to promote digestive health.

How does detoxifying my home and body help my gallbladder?

Reducing exposure to harmful chemicals can help lessen the overall strain on your body. Simple changes like using natural cleaners and eating organic foods can make a difference.