(Phytochemicals in) Foods to Prevent and Treat diseases - Gallstones

Gallstones are crystalline concretion, hard, pebble-like deposits formed in side the gallbladder, resulting in obstruction of the biliary tree which can lead to infection of  the bile ducts with symptoms of constant pain, biliary coli, etc.

Types of foods to prevent and treat gallstone
1.  Green tea
In the study to evaluate  the effects of tea consumption on the risk of biliary tract cancers and biliary stones. The study included 627 incident cases with biliary tract cancer, 1,037 cases with biliary stones and 959 randomly selected controls with Forty-one percent of the controls were ever tea drinkers, defined as those who consumed at least 1 cup of tea per day for at least 6 months, showed that . After adjustment for age, education and body mass index, among women, ever tea drinkers had significantly reduced risks of biliary stones (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.54-0.98) and gallbladder cancer (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.38-0.83). The inverse relationship between tea consumption and gallbladder cancer risk was independent of gallstone disease(1).

2. Coffee
In the study to investigate the association between coffee consumption and the risk of symptomatic gallstone disease in men indicated that after adjusting for other known or suspected risk factors, compared with men who did not consume regular coffee in 1986 and 1990, the adjusted relative risk (RR) for those who consistently drank 2 to 3 cups of regular coffee per day was 0.60 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42-0.86) and for those who drank 4 or more cups per day the RR was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.33-0.92). All coffee brewing methods showed a decreased risk. The risk of symptomatic gallstone disease also declined with increasing caffeine intake (P for trend = .005). After controlling for known or suspected risk factors, the RR for men in the highest category of caffeine intake (>800 mg/d) compared with men in the lowest category (< or =25 mg/d) was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.35-0.87). In contrast, decaffeinated coffee was not associated with a decreased risk(2).

3. Others
According to the study of Nutritional approaches to prevention and treatment of gallstones. by Gaby AR,  at the American Holistic Medical Association, USA, indicated that Dietary factors that may increase risk include cholesterol, saturated fat, trans fatty acids, refined sugar, and possibly legumes. Obesity is also a risk factor for gallstones. Dietary factors that may prevent the development of gallstones include polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, fiber, and caffeine. Consuming a vegetarian diet is also associated with decreased risk. In addition, identification and avoidance of allergenic foods frequently relieves symptoms of gallbladder disease, although it does not dissolve gallstones. Nutritional supplements that might help prevent gallstones include vitamin C, soy lecithin, and iron. In addition, a mixture of plant terpenes (Rowachol) has been used with some success to dissolve radiolucent gallstones(3).
Where
a. Polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat sre found abundantly in olive oil, fish, flax seed. etc.
b. Caffeine in coffee
c. Vitamin C in orange fuice
d.  Lecithin in soy, apple, etc.
e. Terpenes in lemons, grapefruit, oranges, etc.

4.  Liver & gall bladder flush protocol
The protocol includes  often self-administered, drinks four glasses of pure apple juice and eats five apples (or applesauce) per day for five days, then fasts briefly, takes magnesium, and then drinks large quantities of lemon juice mixed with olive oil before bed. The next morning, they painlessly pass a number of green and brown pebbles purported to be stones flushed from the biliary system(4)

5. Apple juice and the chemical-contact softening of gallstones
There is a report of a woman with 1 week 1 L apple juice daily and on the 7th day, 1 cup of olive oil just before going to bed. She then lay on her left side during the night. Next morning the stones were collected in the stool. They were soft and brown. At the university hospital they were recognised as fatty stones(5).
There is another case of a patient had recently followed a “liver cleansing” regime on the advice of a herbalist. This regime consisted of free intake of apple and vegetable juice until 1800 h, but no food, followed by the consumption of 600 mL of olive oil and 300 mL of lemon juice over several hours. This activity resulted in the painless passage of multiple semisolid green “stones” per rectum in the early hours of the next morning. She collected them, stored them in the freezer, and presented them in the clinic(6)

(4), (5), (6), according to the study of Dr. Gaby AR. at the American Holistic Medical Association, USA. "The gallbladder flush is a folk remedy said to promote the passage of gallstones. While minimal scientific evidence supports the efficacy of this treatment, anecdotal reports suggest the gallbladder flush may be beneficial for some people"(7)

6. Etc.

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Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16395699
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10367821
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19803550
(4) http://www.everybodycleansing.com/pdf/LIVER/liver_protocol.pdf
(5) http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2805%2977083-5/fulltext
(6) http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2805%2966373-8/fulltext
(7) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19803550