The gallbladder acts as a reservoir for bile, contracting to squeeze it out when you eat fatty foods, allowing for proper fat absorption in the digestive system. Often, when we begin our regeneration journey, we find we are not digesting fats well. This can be observed by the body communicating nausea after eating fats, nausea at bedtime, floating and greasy stools, being full quickly and in the middle of meals, or an egg aversion. After a diet that is high in carbohydrates and low in fats, we often need to get our liver, gall bladder, and bile back into working order. Our gallbladder needs a good amount of saturated fats to function properly, as proper fat intake keeps our bile thin. Remember that a sluggish gall bladder - even during an attack - is nothing to fear: as with any organ we simply learn how to support it.
Supports
Here is a list of supports; you may use them all or just a few, depending on what your body needs. It may be a good idea to try the vitamin C and taurine first.
Add Vitamin C and Taurine
Pine needle tea, hibiscus tea, and acerola cherry are good, natural sources for vitamin C
Remove Things for a Time
Additional fats.
When reintroducing, increase very slowly depending on your needs,
such as 1/4 teaspoon every week, then 1 teaspoon every week, and so on.
Plants. Focus on meat stock, ground meats, meat close to the bone, oily fish, and fermented, raw dairy, if tolerated.
Eggs. You may need to remove eggs for a period as well. You will know if they cause you to experience nausea or you have an aversion to them.
Stomach Acid
Consider taking stomach acid
to make sure your digestion is working from the start.
Methods for increasing stomach acid can be used while implementing supports for the gallbladder.
Ox Bile
Ox bile can be taken with meals to assist in your own lack of bile.
TUDCA
This is a synthetic supplement and an alternative to bear bile salts.
It is not GAPS-approved.
Take 1 teaspoon of TUDCA daily for 30 days.
Drink Ferments
Apple cider vinegar can be helpful for dissolving gallstones and allowing free-flowing bile.
Apple cider vinegar, kraut juice, or other fermented juice is taken 20 minutes before meals, as it aids in digestion and supports gallbladder.
For apple cider vinegar: add 2 tablespoons ACV to 2 fluid ounces of water.
Drink Teas
You can drink chancapiedra (“stonebreaker”) tea after your last meal, daily.
To support the liver, drink roasted dandelion or rooibos tea.
While not GAPS-approved, chickory tea can remove recirculating estrogen from bile.
Malic Acid
1/4 teaspoon of malic acid taken with magnesium in the
morning and evening in water helps dissolve stones and get bile flowing freely.
This is a bonus remedy for restless legs syndrome!
We use malate, but threonate is also an option.
Iodine
Use the Iodine Protocol (our article).
Castor Oil
Do a castor oil pack on the liver nightly.
This should be done for at least six months but up to as long as needed.
Lymph Movement Exercises
Do lymph movement exercises daily (see ARP Resources).
Coffee Enemas
Daily coffee enemas with 4 cleansing enemas prior.
Liver/Gall Bladder Flushes
Liver/gall bladder flushes can help the body release stones.
Final Thoughts
It may be best to do the Ancestral Regeneration Protocol for a year before attempting any sort of cleanse. Your body will prefer to be strengthened by nutrients and consistent, gentle detoxification before administering a powerful cleanse. Please see the Hulda Clark method or the more intensive Andreas Moritz protocol via his book The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush. Continue your normal, ancestral diet prior to both cleanses and break any fasts with meat stock and herbal teas of choice if doing plants. Our family does not implement any dietary suggestions from either cleanse.
As with any regeneration process, remember to have consistency and patience. Choose a few supports and commit to doing them for three months before adding a new support (exception: TUDCA). If you have an attack, you can support the body by rest, warm lemon or ACV water, malic acid, and magnesium, or drinking food grade Epsom salt (2 T in water). Do deep breathing exercises to alleviate pain. Implement enemas and detox baths. Trust in the wisdom of your body to regenerate and support it as it finds its balance again.