I Tried a Liver Flush

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I Tried a Liver Flush

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http://altmedicine.about.com/library/weekly/aa041701a.htm

I Tried a Liver Flush

Last summer, I tried a liver flush. A traditional home remedy for removing

fat-soluble toxins such as pesticide residues from the body, the liver

flush has also gained immense popularity as a treatment for gallstones.

My sister tried it first. " Fifty stones " , she reported, " I

passed fifty gallstones! " . I was as surprised as she was; is in

her early twenties and did not have typical gallstone symptoms such as pain

under her right ribcage, right shoulder pain, nausea, fatty food

intolerance, constipation and gas.

Now I had to find out for myself.

The procedure was quite simple: I drink two glasses of organic apple juice

every two hours for two days, eating only fruits and vegetables. At the

end of the two days, I have one to two tablespoons of Epsom salts dissolved

in water, followed by half a cup of olive oil with lemon juice at bedtime.

There is science behind the liver flush. Apple juice is high in malic

acid, which acts as a solvent to weaken adhesions between solid globules.

Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) relax smooth muscle and will relax and

dilate the bile duct to enable larger solid particles to pass through.

Unrefined olive oil stimulates the gallbladder and bile duct to contract

and expel its contents.

I drank the apple juice for two days, diligently maintaining the two hour

schedule. The olive oil was much more difficult. I hesitated for about

fifteen minutes before pinching my nose and gulping it down, the way I used

to when my mother made me drink tomato juice. The sensation of such a

large amount of pure oil in my mouth was so unpleasant, I nearly vomited.

I thought that turning off the lights and lying down would make me feel

better, but it only took away all distraction and forced me to focus on my

nausea. Somehow, though, I managed to fall asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I had cramps in my abdomen, but I didn't

have the urge to go to the bathroom. So I waited. And waited. Then

suddenly I felt pressure building quickly in my intestines. The event was

nothing short of explosive and peering into the toilet, satisfying; about

70 dark green balls, ranging in size from 1 mm to 1 cm were floating on the

water. I picked one up and rinsed it off. It was gelatinous and felt soft

and squishy. I felt what can only be described as a detoxifier's high, a

combination of excitement, pride and disgust at the amount of toxic waste

my body was excreting.

But still I wondered how I could have had so many gallstones at my age and

health. Their soft, translucent and gelatinous consistency also made

question whether they were actually cholesterol stones.

I decided to do some research. The first thing I learned was that the

green balls were probably not gallstones. Several sources, including the

prominent naturopathic doctors Murray and ph Pizzorno, said

that the " gallstones " typically passed during the liver flush are not

really gallstones but simply soft complexes of mineral, olive oil and lemon

juice produced within the digestive tract.

The liver flush is also not considered safe for people who have gallstones.

The large amount of oil causes the gallbladder to contract, making it

possible for a gallstone to become lodged in the narrow opening of the

gallbladder and necessitate emergency gallbladder surgery. Since

gallstones are common in North America and many people with gallstones are

asymptomatic, the absence of gallbladder-related symptoms does not mean an

absence of risk. This procedure should only be done under the supervision

of a trained health practitioner.

The verdict? The liver flush has been used for many years to encourage the

proper flow of bile and the excretion of fat soluble toxins. While it may

be very beneficial for some people with the guidance of a health

practitioner, I found it very uncomfortable and will probably not try it again.

References:

Kelley WD. One answer to cancer, 1999.

[http://www.whale.to/cancer/k/Chapter_4.html]

Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. London: Churchill

Livingstone, 2000; 57-8.

Murray M, Pizzorno J. Textbook of Natural Medicine Vol.1 and 2. Edinburgh:

Harcourt Publishers, 1999.