By Dr. Jonathan V. Wright, MD & Lane Lenard, Ph.D. 

The gallbladder stores bile, which is produced in the liver, and releases it to aid in the digestion and absorption of fats and other nutrients. Many people develop “stones” in the gallbladder, which can block the flow of bile, causing the gallbladdert to become inflamed or infected, often necessitating surgery. In addition to recurring abdominal pain, gallstones are also associated with bloating, belching, heartburn, and gas. 

Numerous studies dating back to the early 1900s have linked gallbladder disease with low stomach acid secretion(1). For example, in one study of fifty patients with gallstones, twenty-six had below-normal stomach acid output(2). Does low stomach acid cause gallbladder disease? Or are both the result of a commond cause? 

There is very good reason to believe that in most cases of gallstones, the symptoms are the result of food allergy. When sixty-nine people with gallstones were placed on an elimination diet* for a week, every one of them experienced symptom relief. As the foods were added back one by one, the symptoms often returned. It has been hypothesized that food allergy causes the bile ducts to sweel, restricting the flow of bile from the gallbladder and promoting the formation of stones(3).

*In an allergy-elimination diet, likely offending foods are removed from the diet for a period of time and gradually added back in to see which stimulate a reaction.

(1) Gebhardt R. Antioxidative and protective properties of extracts from leaves of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) against hydroperoside-induced oxidative stress in cultured rat hepotocytes. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1997, 144: 279-286.

(2) Englisch W, Beckers C, Unkauf M, Ruepp M, Zinserling V. Efficacy of Artichoke dry extract in patients with hyperlipoproteinemia. Arzneimittelforschung. 2000, 50: 206-265.

(3) Brown JE, Rice-Evans CA. Luteolin-rich artichoke extract protects low density lipoprotein from oxidation in vitro. Free Radicals Res. 1998, 29: 247-255. 

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