What is the gall bladder?
Its main function is to collect and concentrate the bile that the body uses to digest fats. Problems with the gall bladder and biliary system are very common and consist of – • Inflammation of the gall bladder and bile ducts • Muscular spasms and/or poor contraction of the gall bladder wall • Stones forming in the gall bladder and/or bile ducts • Obstruction to the free flow of bile Surgeons are often very keen to remove the gall bladder as it is believed that it ‘serves no purpose’ This is very untrue. The process of bile production is an ‘expensive’ biochemical process. The body has developed the gall bladder to store bile that has been recovered from the bowel to be recycled – thus saving the liver from having to produce new batches. Therefore, the gall bladder is vitally important as it takes a lot of workload off the liver. If the gall bladder is diseased and dysfunctional, it is often due to the fact that the liver is under stress and is also dysfunctional. A dysfunctional liver
