Are you suffering from gas, bloating, abdominal pain or yellowing of the skin? Have you had your gallbladder removed, also known as a cholecystectomy? If so, you may be dealing with bile or bile salts deficiency. Bile dysfunction can alter the health of your liver, the gallbladder, colon and your skin. But what exactly are bile salts? Why are they so important? I will attempt to take a very complicated subject and make it simple.

Bile is a liquid produced by the liver that helps to break down fats of our diet. Bile contains bile salts and other substances like cholesterol, bilirubin, phospholipids as well as water and electrolytes. Unfortunately, over a third of all people who have their gallbladder taken out never fix the symptoms of gallbladder disease. In fact, those who have had their gallbladder removed end up suffering from new symptoms which include vitamin deficiencies and fat malabsorption. If you have had your gallbladder removed you are no longer producing bile salts which help to eliminate cholesterol and toxic compounds and play a role in cholesterol regulation.

If you still have your gallbladder bile salts help to promote gallbladder and liver function by reducing inflammation of the bile ducts and help normalize blood flow. They also help relieve gas and bloating that can be caused by gallbladder problems. If you have a bile salt insufficiency, taking a supplement of bile salts may also help to improve cystic fibrosis of the liver as well as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. Bile salts also help digest and dissolve gallstones which are composed mostly of cholesterol and particles. Bile salts also help to prevent the formation of gallstones by breaking down fats before crystallization.  They are crucial to our health because they make it easier for our bodies to absorb and digest fat soluble nutrients like Vitamin A, E, D, K, even minerals like magnesium, iron and calcium. If we do not have enough bile salts in our body, we can develop nutrient deficiencies because they are simply not being properly absorbed. 

Bile salts also affect gut bacteria, they help control blood sugar and they also trigger the release of glutathione and eliminate bilirubin. If you are deficient in bile salts, you obviously create vitamin deficiencies and symptoms of heartburn, bloating, abdominal tightness, digestive issues, gallstones, jaundice, hormone imbalances, low cholesterol and liver damage. 

Bile salts deficiencies are not just created by the removal of the gallbladder, but can also be caused by gene mutation, improper bile flow or pancreatic insufficiency. So, the clear solution would be to restore the bile salts through supplementation. Bile salts, in particular, eliminate bilirubin from the body which is very important to do so.

According to research at Northwestern University, Department of Surgery, too much bilirubin in the skin and mucus membranes can lead to jaundice which creates yellowing of the eyes and skin. It also makes your urine darker and your stools may have a lighter color.

So, how would one increase their bile salt intake? Well, you may benefit from a bile salts supplement. When you have a bile salts deficiency there just are not enough functioning bile salts to absorb and initiate a breakdown of fats so they can accumulate in the intestines and cause a list of symptoms. 

Bile salt supplements should be taken with a meal so they can aid in the absorption and digestion of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. I start patients with a lower dose, monitor how they feel after they eat, and usually choose a supplement that contains more cholic acid which is a more water-soluble bile acid.

Most bile salt supplements are usually made from ox or bovine bile. It is recommended you take bile salt supplements with taurine which can also help restore healthy bile formation. I also recommend betaine which is an amino acid created by choline that works in combination with glycine, another amino acid. It assists with the process of digesting fats along with the bile salts. Betaine promotes liver detoxification and removes toxins and chemicals so they do not accumulate and damage the liver. It is important to stay hydrated to improve bile function, especially considering that 85% of bile is made up of water. 

Finally, it is important to supplement with bile salts, especially after one has had a gallbladder removed, being this is a subject that is rarely discussed. Considering all the benefits of bile salts, even those that still have their gallbladder will benefit from bile salt supplementation.

Call to Purchase Bile Salts (Cholacol) 904-834-2337

 

Until next time, stay healthy!

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