9 Best Natural Remedies for Gallstones

9 Best Natural Remedies for Gallstones

Posted by: Sara in Herbal Remedies January 27, 2014 71 Comments

Image Credit: MyHealthTips

If you have been diagnosed with gall stones, you might be worrying about the surgery that your doctor has recommended for removing your gall bladder. However, before going for the surgery, you should at least try once to dissolve your gall stones with the help of various home remedies. A little precaution in your diet and other natural ingredients may dissolve gall stones that give you so much of pain all over your abdomen and even at back and shoulders. These natural remedies will not only cure the symptoms like nausea, vomiting and indigestion along with pain but will also make you get rid of your gall stones.

Natural Remedies for Gallstones

1. Apple Juice and Apple Cider Vinegar for Gall Stones

The golden saying- an apple a day keeps the doctor away- is not so popular without any reason. With all its health benefits, apple is also capable of dissolving gall stones when taken in the forms of juice and apple cider vinegar. The malic acid present in the apples assist in softening gallstones and vinegar stops the liver from making cholesterol that are responsible for forming stones in gallbladder. Not only this fruit dissolves gall stones but also prevents the recurrence of gall stones as well as subsides the pain that you get during flare ups.
Get this:
• Apple Juice- 1 glass
• Apple Cider Vinegar- 1 tbsp
Do this:
• Mix apple cider vinegar in the glass of apple juice.
• Mix well.
• Drink this once everyday.
In fact, this is a very good natural remedy to quickly get relief from the pain which you get during the gall stone attack. Also, once you get rid of gall stones, you should continue to have apples. You can actually make a habit of having fresh uncooked applesauce mixed with shredded raw beets and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a little fresh lemon juice.

2. Pear Juice for Gall Stone Removal

Your pear shaped gallbladder can be cleaned with the fruit whose shape it takes- yes the pear itself. The American Medical Association (AMA) says that about 80 percent of gallstones are formed by hardened cholesterol. It is believed that pectin present in pears binds to cholesterol-filled gallstones so that they be flushed out of your body. However, according to the British Journal of Nutrition, pectin does not prevent gallstones nor have considerable effect on metabolizing cholesterol. However, traditionally, pear juice is said to dissolve the gallstones. Looking at the benefits of the fruit, there’s no harm in taking pear juice. You may want to combine it with other home remedies for your gallbladder stones. If you do so, here are the instructions, how to have pear juice for gallstones.
Get this:
• Hot water- half a glass
• Pear juice- half a glass
• Honey- 2 tbsp
Do this:
• Mix pear juice with hot water.
• Add honey to it and mix well.
• Have this juice thrice a day.

3. Beetroot, Cucumber and Carrot Juice for Gallstones

Juice therapies are what are mostly recommended by traditional natural remedies for gallstones. Among these juices, one that is made from the combination of beetroot, cucumber and carrots is highly effective for gallbladder. Beets not only strengthen and cleanse gallbladder and your liver but also help in cleansing colon and your blood. Cucumber, with its high water content, is great for detoxifying liver as well as gallbladder which is also done by carrot juice high in vitamin C and other rich nutrients.
Get this:
• Beet root- 1
• Cucumber- 1
• Carrots (medium)- 4
Remember, you should get equal amounts of all the three juices. So, if needed, increase or decrease the quantity of each vegetable accordingly. For example, you should get 13/ glass each of beet root juice, carrot juice and cucumber juice to get a glass of their combined juice.
Do this:
• Take out the juice of all the three vegetables- beetroot, cucumber and carrots.
• Mix them.
• Have this juice twice a day.
You may even add apples, celery and ginger while making this juice to get added benefits.

4. Milk Thistle for Gallstones

Milk thistle, the herb from the Mediterranean region, is widely used as a traditional natural remedy for gallstones as well as detoxifying liver. Milk thistle helps in shrinking gallstones and eliminate your bladder pain. Add this herb to your diet to get rid of gallbladder stones. Now, how to take milk thistle. You can make tea or add the powdered milk thistle seeds to your juices, salads, veggies, burgers etc. Here is the recipe to make milk thistle tea.


Get this:
• Milk thistle leaves and seeds (you may even use packaged tea)- 1 tsp
• Muslin bag- 1
• Hat water- 1 cup
• Honey (optional)- as per taste
Do this:
• Put crushed milk thistle leaves and seeds in the muslin bag.
• Place this bag in the hot water.
• Steep for 5 minutes.
• Add honey if using.

5. Dandelion for Gallstones

Dandelion herb helps support your liver which aids your gallbladder in its functioning. The dandelion Leaves help in promoting bile excretion from the liver thus detoxifying it and metabolize fat efficiently. They are also effective when it comes to stimulate your sluggish gallbladder. So, it does make sense to use dandelion to cure your gallstones. You can always add the tender dandelion greens to your salad or steam them and have it. You can also have dandelion tea. Here’s the recipe for the same.
Get this:
• Hot water- 1 cup
• Dried dandelion leaves- 1 tsp
• Honey (optional)- as per taste
Do this:
• Place the dandelion leaves in a pot or cup.
• Pour the hot water over it.
• Cover and steep for 5 minutes.
• Add honey if using.
• Drink this tea twice or thrice a day.
If you suffer from diabetes, you should first consult with your doctor before having dandelion herb.

6. Peppermint for Gallstones

Peppermint oil is known to be helpful in digestion as it stimulates the flow of bile and other digestive juices. It also contains terpene, the natural compound that is said to dissolve gallstones. What’s the better way than having peppermint tea made with mint leaves. However, if you don’t want to make the tea, you can also have peppermint oil capsules- enteric-coated capsules- as they release the oil in the small and large intestine and not in the stomach. Peppermint tea is very useful while you have that gallbladder attack. It helps relax spasms and relieve you from acute pain.
Get this:
• Fresh or dried mint leaves- 1 tsp
• Water- 1 cup
• Honey (optional)- as per taste
Do this:
• Boil the water.
• Add mint leaves. (if fresh, crush them first)
• Put off the flame, cover and steep for 3-5 minutes.
• Strain and add honey if using
It’s better to have this tea in between meals.

7. Psyllium for Gallstones

High fiber diet is very essential to cure your gallbladder stones. While you should have meals rich in fiber and vitamins, especially Vitamin C, you may have psyllium too as a remedy for gall stones. It is a very good source of soluble fibers that bind to the cholesterol in bile and help prevent gallstone formation. Psyllium also prevents constipation which also leads to gallstone formation.
Get this:
• Psyllium powder husk- 1 tsp
• Water- 1 glass
Do this:
• Add psyllium to water.
• Mix well and drink immediately.
• Drink it at night before going to bed everyday.

8. Lemon Juice for Gallstone

Just as vinegar stops your liver from making cholesterol, lemon juice or such citrus fruit juices also do the same task. So have a lots of citrus fruits but don’t forget to take lemon juice daily. You may just add the juice of half a lemon in glass of water and have it twice or thrice a day. Alternatively, you can adopt the following Ayurvedic remedy using lemon juice to dissolve your gallstones.
Get this:
• Olive oil- 30 ml
• Fresh lemon juice- 30 ml
• Garlic paste- 5 g
Do this:
• Mix olive oil, lemon juice and garlic paste.
• Have this mixture every morning on an empty stomach.
Do this for at least 40 days.

9. Diet and Lifestyle Changes for Gallstones

There have to be certain changes in your diet and lifestyle to cure gallbladder stones. Here are some suggestions.

• Drink 8-10 glasses of water everyday.
• If overweight, reduce weight. Avoid fatty foods. Exercise regularly. Eat smaller meals and spread it over the day- instead of 3 big meals, have 5-6 smaller meals.
• Avoid constipation, it helps in forming gallstones.
• Have coffee everyday but do not drink it in excessive amounts. One or two cups a day is enough. Coffee increases the flow of bile and thus prevents gallstones.
• Have loads of vitamin C during the day. For this, include citrus fruits in your diet. Have lemon juice.
• Use such spices and herbs that stimulate liver as well as gallbladder like turmeric, dried ginger, black pepper, long pepper, asafoetida, etc.

Careful planning of diet and intelligently selected home herbal remedies according to the needs of your body can sure give you a chance to keep your gallbladder by removing the gallstones naturally.