Gallstones can be extremely painful. If you experience extreme discomfort after eating, especially fatty foods, you probably have gallstones. There is a Chinese apple juice remedy for getting rid of gallstones naturally rather than through surgery or prescription medication.
The Apple Juice Plan
If you want to try the apple juice plan to get rid of gallstones you will need to follow two steps of action over six days.
For the first five days of the plan you have two choices. You can either eat four or five apples a day or you can drink four glasses of apple juice each day. The reasoning behind this diet is that the pectin in apples softens the gallstones and prepares them to be expelled from your gallbladder.
During the first part of your apple juice diet you need to eat a healthy diet. Make sure that you are eating a high fiber diet that is low in fat. You should get a minimum of 30 grams of fiber daily. This can be accomplished by eating whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables. You should aim to get 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Also make sure that your diet is low in fat. Don't eat sugary foods and be sure that you are eating lean meat, not high fat cuts of meat.
The Sixth Day
On the last day of the apple diet you will skip your evening meal. Instead you should drink a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of Epsom salt mixed in. Repeat this process an hour and a half later. This step prepares the gallbladder to release the gallstones.
An hour and a half after your second glass of Epsom salt and water, mix a combination of ½ cup oil (either olive oil or sesame oil) and ½ cup lemon juice. Make sure it is mixed well and then drink it. This process lubricates the gallstones so that they will come out of the gallbladder.
On the seventh day, when you have your bowel movement, you will see green stones in your stools. According to the proponents of this remedy, these green stones are actually gallstones that your body has expelled. You should feel better now that you have completed the apple juice diet and you should experience fewer problems digesting your food.
Science Disagrees
There is no medical proof that the Chinese apple juice remedy for gallstones actually works. Doctors speculate that what people are seeing in their stools aren't gallstones but in fact remnants of the olive oil and lemon juice.
Prevent Gallstones
You can prevent future gallstones with a few simple steps.
Control your weight. Even a few extra pounds can trigger gallstones. But it's also important to keep your weight steady. Yo-yo dieting can cause gallstones.
Along with this is also diabetes. If you have diabetes, make sure it is under control because diabetics are more prone to getting gallstones due to elevated triglyceride levels.
Keep your cholesterol under control. Excess cholesterol clumps together to form gallstones.
Avoid diets high in animal fats since it's primarily animal fats that collect to cause gallstones. It is best to eat a lower fat diet since all fats play a role in cholesterol.
Excess estrogen from birth control pills or pregnancy can increase the likelihood of gallstones.
References
Writer Bio
MichelleN attended James Madison University and obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance. She is also a Certified Public Accountant. She has been a freelance writer for two years and her work has appeared on various sites such as eHow.com, Hubpages.com and ezines.com. She has also created a website Your-best-restaurant-supplies.com.