The most obviously painful of the conditions associated with the liver and the gall bladder, gallstones are first recognized by sharp pains in the side and chest, a feeling of distention and discomfort, general queasiness and a tendency to biliousness. There is no doubt that if you have these symptoms you will seek professional advice and there is no doubt that if you are fat, female and over 40 you will be diagnosed as having gallstones. It therefore comes as something of a relief to know that this chauvinistic attitude is now considered misplaced but nevertheless a poor diet leading to excess weight, little exercise and a disposition to harbor ill will or to become stressed do encourage the  formation of gallstones. Those phrases which trip off the tongue – ‘it galls me’, ‘as bitter as gall’ – all relate to an unhappy frame of mind and these negative emotions have a physical result in that they stop the bile flowing freely. The old-fashioned cure for this was for the victim to drink a ½ pint of olive oil at one intake thus stimulating the gall bladder to secrete bile which would take small stones with it. It also kept your mind on other things!

Diet

A regular intake of artichokes, asparagus, kelp and barley water is to be preferred to the remedy which might have been used a century or less ago of nine lice eaten on bread. These were supposed to make their way straight to the gall bladder where they set to work on the problem. As it was firmly believed that gallstones were caused by fright and would be dispelled by fright, this latter solution must surely have been successful.

Do not take strong purgatives but keep the bowels open by eating plenty of prunes and figs.

Home Remedies for Gall Stones