Have you ever thought about your gallbladder when you last sat down to your favorite meal? No? Well, you’re not alone. This friend to our digestive system is commonly forgotten.
Your gallbladder’s job is to store bile, which is made by the liver. And bile plays a big role in our digestion. It’s main job is to emulsify fat, but it also contains any fat soluble toxins the liver wants removed from the body. Emulsifying fat is a super important part of digestion. Take a moment and think about an oil and vinegar salad dressing in a jar. When you shake it up the fatty oil mixes with the watery vinegar, and this changes the texture of the oil and makes the fat globs much smaller. That’s emulsification. This is what bile does in the small intestine. It emulsifies the fat we eat so the globs are much smaller. This allows digestive enzymes to attack those smaller fatty globs and break the fat down into single fatty acids. We can only absorb single fatty acids. This also allows us to absorb really important fat soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as essential fatty acids like omega-3 & 6. Signs your gallbladder is struggling can be quiet and easy to ignore. They’re symptoms like; fatty stools, abdominal pain when eating fatty meals, and sometimes heartburn and indigestion. If you ever feel severe abdominal pain, especially if it radiates into your right shoulder, have nausea, fever, or yellowing of the eyes, please seek medical attention immediately as it could be a much more severe issue.Keeping your gallbladder happy is easy, just add a few simple steps to your daily routine:
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Lemon & water, first thing in the morning
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Emulsify your fats
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Make friends with virgin coconut oil
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Cut out fried food and refined/over-processed oils
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Use Flora Swedish Bitters before each meal
