Gallstones and bitters

[Jae]

Hi I was looking through Julia Changs website and was wondering about her "Chinese Bitters", in her instructions the website states that if you have gallstones you probably have a congested liver so you should take "Chinese Bitters" before the GCG. But is it safe to take the "Chinese Bitters with gallstones because it makes the gallbladder make bile and wouldn't the bile get backed up. Other products that are considered bitters and bile producers like dandelion roots and artichoke extract come with a warning to not take it if a person has gallstones. So who is right?

[shelley]

That's a very interesting question. If you don't have gilbert's syndrome (elevated bilirubin in the bloodstream) I think you're safe to take bile increasers prior to flushing because obviously bile is getting out okay, the stones aren't stopping it. Believe me, you'd know if the stones were preventing the release of bile.

Overall, however, I recommend comprehensive liver management, which means not only increasing bile but dissolving the stones too, all at the same time. Julia's tinctures are so strong that she says not to do both at once, and that's good advice. But there are other things besides GCG that you can take to dissolve the stones, and it's best if you do. See the FAQ for a list of options.