Liver/Gall Bladder Flush

Alternative names: Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse

Gallbladder and liver flushes are widely advocated as a way of treating gallstones and (much less common) liver stones.  They are also said to help with other medical conditions ranging from allergies to cancer.  Skeptics tend to disagree.

Although many alternative medical practitioners swear by the liver and gall bladder flush (and numerous webpages explain the procedure and its benefits), other doctors express skepticism and state that the 'stones' that are passed are, in fact, simply bile-stained 'soaps' formed from the ingested olive oil.

We present the procedure here and leave the reader to make up his or her own mind.

Function

According to proponents of this procedure, apple juice is a stone solvent; olive oil stimulates strong gallbladder contraction; and Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) stimulate gallbladder contraction and relax the muscles controlling the release of bile into the intestines.

According to skeptics, however, there is no way that the procedure could produce the claimed results: Neither apple juice nor any other agent taken orally is able to come into contact with gallstones in the gallbladder or the bile ducts, and large fatty meals would have the same effect as the olive oil.

Instructions

A 6-day Liver/Gallbladder Flush

Items required: raw, unfiltered apple juice, Epsom salts, grapefruit juice, olive oil, and the following plan.

1. From Monday to Saturday noon drink pure, unfiltered apple juice – as much as you can consume, with meals and between them.  It should be at room temperature or heated, but not cold.  (You can skip this part and still achieve good results)
2. On Saturday (or any day where the following day is free), have lunch as you normally would.
3. Three hours after lunch (no food after lunch), dissolve 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts in three-quarters of a cup of water and drink.  Follow this with a chaser of grapefruit juice to mask the taste, if desired.  A different cathartic such as Citroma (magnesium citrate) can be used, but Epsom salts may be best because it helps relax bile ducts and valves.
4. For dinner, have half a grapefruit only.
5. At bedtime, take 1 cup of unrefined olive oil mixed (shaken, not stirred) with up to one cup of grapefruit juice (or a smaller quantity of lemon juice).  This may be divided into 4 doses taken over an hour (ie.  a quarter cup every 15 minutes), but the more rapidly you can take it the better.  Using a straw and plugging your nose are helpful.
6. Go immediately to bed.  You may need assistance in going to sleep – try ornithine or melatonin before bed.
7. Lie on your right side, bend your right knee to your chest and hold for approximately 30 minutes.  You can then lower your knee and proceed to sleep.
8. If you feel a bit nauseous when waking up, rest a bit until you feel better.  For nausea, take tomato juice and sauerkraut juice mixed in equal parts, 1 tablespoon every 15 minutes.  When you get up, take 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts in three-quarters of a cup of water (or other cathartic), followed by grapefruit juice.  This should be done 1-2 hours before breakfast.
9. After evacuation, the toilet bowl may contain many floating small green globs.  Darker green ones may be older deposits.

Expected Outcome; Side-Effects

According to alternative practitioners, "If you pass many tan/green globs, the procedure can be repeated in 2 weeks.  If a moderate number are seen, repeat in 60 days.  If a few are seen, every six months is sufficient.  Several flushes may need to be accomplished before symptoms such as allergies, bursitis and some back pain are resolved."

Even if successful, most patients with gallstones go on to form more stones.  After successful dissolution of gallstones with ursodeoxycholic acid, 30-50% of patients form new stones within five years [Collins C et al. Annals of Surgery 239:pp.28-33, 2004].  The fact remains that, despite much research, no simple, safe, or dietary measures have been found to prevent gallstone formation.  The traditional fat-free diet has shown no consistent benefit, possibly because an occasional fatty meal helps expel small stones or sludge.

This procedure and the ingredients used are harmless.