Wednesday, October 6, 2010

THE AMAZING GALLBLADDER

The gallbladder is part of our magnificent digestive system. Most all mammals, except those that are pure herbivores, have a gallbladder (rats don’t, whereas mice do). Its function is to store bile made in the liver.


Bile — a greenish-yellow fluid made of cholesterol, salts, pigments, water and minerals — helps to break up and emulsify fat in the digestive system. From the liver, it’s secreted into tubes or ducts, which drain downward into the gallbladder. Bile is stored and concentrated there — the gallbladder can hold about a half-cup of fluid — until it gets a message (via the hormone cholecystokinin, or CCK) that the duodenum (the uppermost part of the small intestine) has food with fat in it, and the digestive system is going to need help dissolving it. At this point the smooth muscle lining squeezes the bile out through the cystic duct to the common duct and into the small intestine, where it can emulsify the fat.

It's hard to believe that something so small, hidden and unsightly can be so critical in how you feel.  I have not been to the doctor in quite a few years, so when I have random pains every once in a while, I just chalk it up to spine cancer, liver cancer, arm cancer, toe cancer and lately gallbladder cancer.

And since I am still very much alive I give thanks that I am cancer free and have been healed more than likely by eating things like flax seed and jalepenos with occasional fly poop on my unwashed basil that I eat straight from my herb garden during a lazy stroll through it.

I'm feeling pretty good today, so I think I have conquered my gallbladder cancer.  Yay!

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