Re: Fasting and liver, gallbladder...

Julia,
Be very careful fasting with gallbladder issues. Interestingly - and this should be noted by all readers (!) Gallstones (crystallized cholesterol or crystallized calcium) are often FORMED in a response to extreme diet changes, "cleanses", starvation, and FASTING. I got gallbladder disease at age 32 (male... which is rare) and I am not obese - 5'7" and 165lbs. Upon reviewing my history of fasting, extreme cleanses, and diet changes from age 16-32, the doctor pointed me to some literature and I have concluded that I caused my own gallbladder disease BY fasting and dieting the way I did. This is very sad to me. PLEASE also research 'fasting causing gallstones.'

After my first gallstone attack I spent 7 months doing every natural cleanse and gallstone-breakdown-flush that exists. (i.e. I ate even ate raw beets daily... strawberries and olive oil - you name it.) Nothing resolved the gallstones. Gallbladder disease CAN get to the point where it's irreversible (sorry natural people - it's true) Once Gallstones are large and sharp and start to roll around and cut up the gallbladder and compromise the organ, there is nothing that can be done. In my case, I went completely fat-free vegan and over the next 7 months of gallbladder cleanses and gallstone-busting-diet, I ended up twice in the hospital with Pancreatitis (a gallstone excreted was caught in the common bile duct blocking the pancreas). I was convinced that my Gallstones were being broken down and excreted "naturally" in response to the cleanses and flushes, but certainly the ones being excreted were not broken down small enough to be harmless since I ended up in the hospital with life-threatening Pancreatitis - twice!

After this 7 months and another trip to the hospital, a new ultra-sound showed that my gallstones were worse than ever and my gallbladder was inflamed and diseased as a result. It had to come out. My doctor did blame my extreme diet change in an attempt to "naturally" remove my gallstones as having made them worse.

Fasting is good - but it can have NEGATIVE effects on the gallbladder and fasting sites do not tell you this! Neither do all the natural healing sites. I still subscribe to natural health, and fasting - but people need to be INFORMED that it's not as simple as a 1 week gallbladder flush and Abbra Cadabbra all your gallstones are gone. I would strongly recommend that any measures taken be done in moderation. Extreme fasting or cleanses or diet changes can have adverse effects on the health. Tweet