The gallbladder is an organ that stores bile, which is made by the liver and is needed to break up fat globules, making it easier for them to be absorbed by the intestines. Gallstones are formed by the concentration of cholesterol and other chemicals getting too high in the gallbladder, causing hard deposits to form. Gallstone cleanses are often used to remove gallstones, but the effectiveness of some of these techniques has not been proven. A doctor should be consulted before attempting any cleanse.
Step 1
Eat a fat-free breakfast and lunch before the cleanse. This is important because a gallstone cleanse can cause nausea and eating a food high in fat will cause the food to stay in your digestive tract for longer. Gallstones-Treatment.com recommends not eating for five hours before your cleanse.
Step 2
Drink 1/4 cup of olive oil and follow it with a teaspoon of lemon juice to follow the gallstone cleanse from Gallstones-Treatment.com. Other cleansing programs may recommend different juices, MayoClinic.com explains, but in general, gallstone cleanses involve drinking olive oil, which is purported to stimulate contraction of the gallbladder, as well as some juice which helps speed the rate at which the olive oil passes through your digestive tract.
Step 3
Repeat step two every 15 minutes until you have consumed a pint of olive oil.
Step 4
Check your stool for gallstone deposits. Gallstones-Treatment.com claims that you can use a sieve on your stool to identify gallstones, which may be green or tan. MayoClinic.com reports, however, that these may not be proof that gallstones have been passed and may be formed due to the interaction of olive oil and juice with other substances in your digestive tract.
Things You'll Need
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Sieve
