Cranberry juice may help prevent but not treat urinary tract infections and may also help reduce dental plaque, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Cranberry juice won't likely help you get rid of gallstones. Gallstones can prove fatal, so talk to your doctor before trying a cranberry juice cleanse or any alternative treatment for gallstones.
Cranberry Juice Cleanse
A gallbladder cleanse, also known as a gallbladder or liver flush, can be made by combining a fruit juice such as cranberry juice along with olive oil. The cranberry and olive oil is supposed to break up or dissolve gallstones. Once the gallstones are broken up, they are supposed to be excreted through your stool, ridding your body of them. Although cranberry juice has been used historically as an alternative treatment for liver problems, no evidence supports its use to dissolve gallstones.
Possible Side Effects
Drinking large amounts of cranberry juice could cause diarrhea. Consuming olive oil also could cause diarrhea and abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea. Olive oil acts as a laxative and if you try a gallbladder cleanse, you may find oily clumps in your stool. These are not gallstones but globs of oil and food remnants, according to Dr. Michael Picco, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. Some gallbladder cleanses include salt, herbs and other ingredients in addition to fruit juice and olive oil. Research all elements of a proposed cleanse and discuss them with your doctor.
Traditional Treatment
Medications traditionally used to treat gallstones include ursodeoxycholic acid. This oral treatment has more proven success than cranberry juice, but it only works 40 percent of the time, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. If your gallstones are larger than 15 mm in diameter, your doctor may inject drugs such as tert-butyl or monooctanoin injected straight into your gallbladder to break up your gallstones. Shock wave therapy also may break up your gallstones. Surgery to remove your gallbladder remains the most common treatment for gallstones.
Considerations
Women, Native Americans and adults older than 60 face an increased risk of gallstones. If you're overweight, have diabetes or take cholesterol-lowering drugs, you also prove more susceptible to gallstones. It wouldn't hurt to include cranberry juice in your diet as a possible preventive strategy. Cranberry juice contains antioxidants that may reduce your risk for gallbladder problems. It also may help to include less fat and more fiber in your diet.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Gallbladder Cleanse: A 'Natural' Remedy for Gallstones?; Michael F. Picco; February 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Gallbladder Disease; February 2010
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Cranberry; July 2010
- Cleveland Clinic: Gallstones -- Digestive Disease Institute Overview
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