Have you ever experienced sudden pain in the upper abdomen and felt nausea and vomiting? This intense pain could show the symptoms of gallstones. In India, the rates of gallstones may be higher compared to other country, in some studies, it has been found as high as 20-25%. So here, it can be adjusted by Ayurvedic remedies. There is a wide impact of ayurveda on gallstones, and it has been proven in most of the studies. In this blog, we will discuss the full details about how Ayurveda helps to treat gallstones. Also, we will provide all the important information regarding this.
What are Gallstones?
Gallstones or pittashmari are solid and hardened pieces that are found in the gallbladder, a small body organ under the liver that stores bile. Bile is likely to help in the digestion of fats, and whenever it takes more than expected cholesterol, bilirubin, or not enough bile salts, gallstones can develop. They are found in different sizes, sometimes it may be as small as grains or sometimes as large as a ball. It creates discomfort or sudden pain when it blocks the movement of bile juice.
Symptoms of Gallstones
Gallstones show various symptoms, and the main symptom is pain. Typically, pain occurs in the upper right abdomen, shoulder, and back, and this pain mostly occurs whenever you eat oily or fast-fried food. A part of this pain, other symptoms may include:
- Change in colour of your urine(Dark Urine)
- Burping
- High fever
- Heartburn, gas
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Jaundice
What are the Causes of Gallstones?
The following causes of gallbladder stones are described below. Mostly, these causes are shown in women, you can read them:
- Fasting: Regularly fasting or skipping meals creates a cause for bile to crystallize in the gallbladder.
- High Cholesterol Level: When there is too much cholesterol or in case the cholesterol level is high in the bile (a digestive fluid produced by the liver), gallstones can be formed. Mainly, bile is removed and assists the liver and other digestive organs in performing their normal functions.
- Hormonal Changes: Gallstones can be caused by higher use of contraceptive pills or hormone replacement when you are pregnant, which can create gallstone formation.
- Weight Unbalanced: Both being underweight or overweight can lead to the formation of gallstones.
Impact of Ayurveda on Gallstones
Ayurveda is important to us for living a healthy life in a natural way. It helps us take care of our whole body in a natural way. Whenever you feel pain in your digestive system, it may be gallbladder pain or its symptoms. To maintain this, Ayurveda helps a lot. There are some natural and herbal remedies that can help in preventing gallstones.
Ayurvedic Treatments for Gallstones
Gallstone treatment in Ayurveda includes changes in lifestyle, natural herbs, diet, and Ayurvedic medicines. We will mention some useful tips that can help in the treatment of gallbladder stones.
Changes in Lifestyle
Ayurveda suggests many lifestyle changes to prevent and treat gallstones by improving the digestive system:
- You need to avoid food that contains high cholesterol, refined carbohydrates, caffeine, packaged foods, nuts, and alcohol.
- You need to eat easily digestible food or light-weighted food that is rich in fiber, contains vitamin C, vitamin B, and calcium. Example: fruits, whole grains, pulses, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
- You should not irregular fasting or skipping meals this can cause bile to crystallize in the gallbladder. Need to consume meals at fixed times, three times a day.
- You need to do daily exercise, and medication can help manage the gallbladder, liver functions, and blood circulation, and enhance the digestive system. Yoga is beneficial, especially for gallbladder and liver health problems.
Natural Herbs
Ayurveda recommends using natural herbs correctly to avoid getting gallstones. It helps in improving digestion, detoxifying the liver, and the gallbladder. Here are some natural herbs:
- Ginger: This natural herb helps to improve digestion and reduce vomiting and nausea.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is the best natural supplement and helps with various health issues. It prevents cholesterol stone formation and protects the liver and gallbladder from any kind of damage.
- Garlic: This natural remedy is a part of the cholagogue herb, which contracts the gallbladder to expel excess fluid in the liver and stones into the intestine. It also helps with antibacterial problems.
- Rock Salt: This could be the best herbal and natural remedy that may help to increase the flow of bile. It helps in breaking down and dissolving kidney stones and gallbladder stones.
Diet
Ayurveda suggests a low diet that includes low-fat, low-cholesterol foods rich in vitamin C and high in fiber. Here are some natural diets:
- Whole grains: Add varieties of whole grains, like brown rice, oats, to your diet. These rich fibers are easily digestible and reduce the risk of gallstone formation.
- Vegetables: Add low-fat vegetables to your diet, like turnips, carrots, and these are all essential nutrients that support a healthy gallbladder.
- Fruits: Add varieties of fruits to your meal, like grapes, apples, and watermelon. These fruits are full-fill of fiber, vitamin C that helps to manage a healthy gallbladder, and reduces the risk of stones.
- Low-Fat Dietary Products: Add low-fat dietary products, which are curd, buttermilk. These low-fat dietary products contribute to the gallbladder.
Ayurvedic Medications
Ayurvedic medications play an important role in detoxifying the liver and gallbladder, help in dissolving stones, and improve digestive system. The following are some of the recommended therapies which are:
- Avipattikar Choorna: It is a powder that holds in it trikatu (which contains ginger, long pepper, and black pepper), vidanga(false black pepper), ela (cardamom), lavang(clove), musta(nut grass), sharkara(sugar), and triphala(amla, hartaki, and bibhitaki). This choorna helps to relieve acidity, gives relief to gall bladder, purifies the liver, makes digestion good, and stone gets dissolved.
- Hingwaasthak Choorna: It is a powder that contains hing( which includes asafoetida), maricha (black pepper), jeera(cumin seed), ajmoda(celery seed), saunf(fennel seed), shunthi (ginger), pippali(long pepper), and saindhav lavan (rock salt). This choorna eliminates gas, indigestion, and also gives relief to gallbladder pain, stone gets dissolved.
- Shankavati: It contains shankha bhasma(which includes conch shell ash), triphala(which includes amla, haritaki, and bibhitaki), trikatu(which includes ginger, long pepper, and black pepper), and other herbs that help to reduce acidity, gallbladder pain, and dissolve stones.
Conclusion
Above, we discussed the impact of Ayurveda on gallstones, in which we shared all the basic points regarding gallbladder stones. To treat gallstones, people choose ayurveda natural remedies to reduce the infection and improve digestion. This blog is the best of my knowledge, as it includes all the important topics regarding the impact of Ayurveda on gallstones.