Autopsy studies and examinations of inflamed gall bladders removed surgically show that bacteria are rarely involved. Inflammation of the gall bladder can be caused by drugs, chemicals and bacterial toxins,6 in which case the liver should be built up to the extent that such substances can be detoxified. Two sisters who incurred this type of gall-bladder inflammation from spraying roses recently reported a rapid recovery after taking 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C and 200 units of vitamin E every three hours with pep-up containing 4 egg yolks per quart.

Usually, inflammation occurs only when cortisone is not being produced in adequate amounts; hence emphasis must be placed on helping the adrenals function with maximum efficiency.

Jaundice

When pigments from the breakdown of worn out red blood cells, excreted in bile as a waste product, cannot reach the intestine, they accumulate in the blood and are deposited in the tissues, thus giving the skin and whites of the eyes the yellow coloring characteristic of jaundice. Any condition that causes a rapid destruction of red blood cells can bring on jaundice, but more often the disease results from severe swelling or spasms of the bile duct, surgical trauma, or obstruction caused by a cancer, stone or cyst that prevents the bile from reaching the intestine.

During World War II, when jaundice was a chief cause of illness, army doctors found that recovery could be markedly speeded up by a diet extremely high in protein (250 grams daily) provided the patient could consume such a huge amount. Fats were not limited, and carbohydrates were generously supplied to prevent proteins from being used for calories. Most authorities have recommended 100 to 150 grams of protein daily with a diet moderate in fat and rich in natural starches and sugars. During jaundice, the backing up of bile acids into the blood breaks down fat in the walls of the red blood cells, thus causing anemia. For this reason, the diet should be high in all nutrients needed to rebuild blood. If the diet is faulty, severe liver damage or even cirrhosis may occur; therefore adequate nutrition should be continued long after recovery.

When jaundice is brought on by spasms of the tiny muscles of the bile duct, nutrients that aid tissue relaxation should be immediately emphasized: vitamin B6, magnesium, calcium, and sufficient vitamin D to insure calcium absorption. To stimulate cortisone production, the anti-stress formula should be taken with highly fortified milk around the clock. When these measures cannot be started quickly enough, bile is sometimes forced into the pancreas, where it can cause severe inflammation, acute pain, and hemorrhage. If pancreatitis does develop, an anti-stress diet rich in the above nutrients should be given as soon as the patient is able to retain food.

Diet for Gall-Bladder Abnormalities

At the onset of hepatitis, pancreatitis, an inflammation of the gall bladder, or when a stone first obstructs the bile duct, nausea and vomiting usually become so severe that little food can be eaten. A physician should be called immediately. Every effort should be made, however, to prevent acidosis and to meet the demands of stress.

After the acute stage has passed, small two-hour feedings are gradually replaced by six light meals daily. The bile flow is inadequate during most diseases of the gall bladder, but lecithin can be taken to homogenize fats, thus increasing their absorption. Though bile acids, necessary to taxi digested fats and fat-soluble vitamins across the intestinal wall, can be increased 100 per cent by using oils instead of solid fats, they should be supplied temporarily by tablets of dried bile. Generally a teaspoon of lecithin and 1 to 3 tablets of dried bile with enzymes per meal and mid-meal are sufficient to assure efficient digestion and prevent gas formation. Soft stools would indicate that enough bile is being obtained and that insoluble soaps are not being formed. Because the blood levels of vitamins A, D, and E are especially low during diseases of the gall bladder, these fat-soluble vitamins should be taken with the lecithin and bile.

Gas distention can be further reduced by taking 1 or 2 cups of yogurt or acidophilus milk daily. If an odor to the stool persists, indicating that protein digestion is still incomplete, lecithin, yogurt or acidophilus, and bile tablets with enzymes should all be increased; and conversely, when no digestive disturbances occur, amounts of these foods may be decreased and the tablets discontinued.

Diets for gall-bladder diseases usually have a long list of "avoids," for which there appears to be no scientific basis. Actually, no food need be forgone as long as it builds health; even salads are not taboo. To stimulate bile flow, no less than a teaspoon of oil should be obtained at each meal and mid-meal, always used appetizingly in food. At first milk and milk soups, whole-grain breads and cereals, lean meats and fish, eggs, cottage cheese, fruits, vegetables, custards, and simple milk desserts are customarily allowed. When weight permits and recovery is well under way, small servings of pork, steak, gravies, and gently fried foods can usually be eaten without discomfort provided lecithin and bile tablets are taken at each meal.

To obtain a high-protein diet needed for repair without getting excessive amounts of saturated fats, one can rely on yeast, soy flour, wheat germ, fresh and powdered skim milk, nuts, non-hydrogenated nut butters, and liver lightly sautéed in oil. Many of these high-protein foods can be incorporated into delicious breads, waffles, muffins, and hotcakes baked on a dry griddle.

The purpose of a diet for diseases of the gall bladder, it seems to me, has all too often been overlooked. It is to build such a degree of health that you can forget you have a bile duct and, if you still have one, even a gall bladder.