Anti-Inflammatory Diet

A healthy diet that is high in good fats is critical for cholesterol production, bile production and secretion.  Good fats that should be staple parts of the diet include avocados, olive oil, grass-fed butter or ghee, wild fish, coconut oil and grass-fed beef.

Bile Foods

Some of the best things for bile flow include beets, radishes,  artichoke, asparagus, celery, lemon, lime, grapefruit, cucumbers and carrots.  Juicing these veggies or have a big salad with fresh squeezed lemon everyday.

7.  Bitter Herbs

A common saying in natural health is that “bitter is good for the liver.”  Anything good for the liver is good for the gallbladder.  This includes ginger, arugula, endive, cilantro, turmeric, dandelion, cumin, fennel, mint, milk thistle, yarrow, leeks and parsley.

Many cultures around the world have bitter foods to begin their meal.  They may drink ginger or peppermint tea, have pickled ginger, have a salad with arugula, dandelion and cilantro, etc.  These all act to stimulate digestive juices and give the bile flow a boost for optimal digestion.

9. Fermented Veggies

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, pickled ginger, etc. all contain organic acids, enzymes and probiotics which help to improve digestive juice secretions. 

 Intermittent Fasting

Fasting from food (but drinking lots of water and herbal teas) is extremely beneficial for the liver and gallbladder.  I recommend beginning with 12 hours from your last meal to your first morning meal.  Then working your way up to where you can do a 16 hour liquid fast from your last meal to your first meal the next day.

Consume lots of herbal teas like ginger, dandelion root, lemon detox tea, etc. and you can have green juices during your fasting period.

Chlorophyll 

These help to purify the blood stream and improve bile secretions.  Any dark green leafy vegetable will work along with things like wheat grass, oat grass and microalgae such as chlorella and spirulina.

 Magnesium

Magnesium helps with contractile activity within the body.  A magnesium deficiency, which is extremely common, would reduce contractile activity of the bile ducts.  Taking 250-500 mg of supplemental magnesium can be very helpful for bile release and gallbladder health (3).

Lecithin

Lecithin is the major source of phospholipids which are one of the key emulsifying agents in bile.  It breaks down fat and makes them easier to digest and helps keep cholesterol moving through the blood stream (4).

Raw eggs are a natural source of lecithin but since so many people with gallbladder problems have sensitivities to eggs, I recommend non-GMO soy or even better, sunflower lecithin.  You can find these in many products and purchase them and put the contents in smoothies.  I recommend this Sunflower lecithin, take 3 tablespoons daily in a shake or smoothie.