Flax Oil & Gallbladder Disease

In some people, flax oil lowers cholesterol levels. Its alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, has the ability to balance the excess of omega-6 fatty acids in the body. Flax oil lowers inflammation, and the oil is recommended for gallbladder disease.

Features

• Gallbladder disease occurs if bile becomes supersaturated with cholesterol and forms gallstones inside the gallbladder. Another disease erupts when a gallstone obstructs the bile duct and the wall of the gallbladder becomes inflamed. The term, "gallbladder disease," includes gallstones, inflammation, local infections or gallbladder-emptying problems. When the flow of bile out of the gallbladder is interrupted, disease results.

Prevention

• raw beets for bile flow

  To prevent further gallstone formation or gallbladder disease, consume foods that improve bile flow. Such foods are flax oil, as a salad dressing, olive oil, beets, globe artichokes and dandelion greens.

  Olive oil is not an omega-3 oil, and therefore flax oil with its attributes is more healthful. Fish oil, an omega-3 oil, is not palatable enough to use on a salad.

Considerations

• Some practitioners promote gallbladder flushes, which involve drinking four to six ounces of olive oil before bedtime and noting passage of stones.

  Substituting flax oil for olive oil and doing a gallbladder flush may come to mind. Drs. Pizzorno and Murray, however, indicate that a large amount of any oil contracts the gallbladder, increasing risk of a stone blocking the bile duct and subsequent cholecystitis, requiring surgery to prevent death.

  The same doctors emphasize that passage of what looks like a gallstone is actually a complex of minerals, oil and lemon juice.

Uses

• Mix finely grated raw beets from one peeled beetroot with the juice of half a lemon and two tablespoons of flax oil. Take one teaspoonful of the mixture three or four times a day.

  Employ flax oil as a salad dressing or mix it into low-fat cottage cheese.

Warning

• The nutritional recommendations above are not offered to cure disease. The information should be used in conjunction with the services of a medical doctor.