If you are female, 40, fertile, fair, and fatty – there is heightened chance that you are going to have gallbladder issues! Although you may want to pay attention even if you don't fit this demographic as these issues are on the rise in the wider population. Luckily, there is plenty you can do to avoid running into issues with your gallbladder.
This is a subject dear to me as I lost my gallbladder a couple of years ago after developing gallstones during my pregnancy.
The job of the gallbladder is to concentrate bile from the liver and digestive enzymes from the pancreas, ready to be released when fats are consumed.
Bile is super important because it breaks down fats - we need that fat in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins - including retinol which activates copper into its bioavailable form. If we don't have bioavailable copper we can regulate iron or run the many many important copper-dependent enzymes in our body!
Bilirubin is a yellowish substance in your blood. It forms after red blood cells break down. The liver then degrades bilirubin into bile and either stores it in the gallbladder or excretes it. Often elevated bilirubin indicates liver damage.
In this informative chat, Morley and Kristan discuss some recent findings Morley has made on bilirubin, jaundice, carotenemia and our favourite minerals!
Morley explains that he's always had high bilirupin his whole life, but that his bilirupin levels began to normalize once he donated blood. He explains that “as your retinol goes up, your bilirupin goes down.” Many of us are born retinol deficient, copper deficient, magnesium deficient, and iron toxic - from retinol deficient, copper deficient, magnesium deficient, iron toxic parents!!
When we get sunburnt easily this is a sign of inflammation, and a sign that there is not enough retinol stored in our liver.
Morley says “Retinol helps the body use sunlight. Sun kisses the cholesterol under the skin and starts the process of creating vitamin D, but these transactions don’t occur without magnesium.
Bilirubin is negatively correlated with vitamin D, so the lower your vitamin D is the higher your bilirupin will be. Vitamin D gets low when you have inflammation, because magnesium is dropping (Vitamin D can't work without magnesium) and iron is rising and causing the oxidative stress!
It is positively correlated with Retinol, so we need to make sure our body is able to use retinol.
The predictor of high bilirupin is actually low vitamin E - the full 9 part complex.”
After doing the full RCP for 2 years, Morley’s bilirupin is normal for the first time in his life. So when we get lots of retinol, lots of animal fat, lots of wholefood Vitamin E, lots of magnesium and co-factors, we do blood donations, and clear fears and stress, these markers normalize and proper function returns the to the liver, cells and body.
Morley also explains that Bilirupin does relate to jaundice, but interestingly orange jaundiced babies are actually exhibiting carotenemia - from inability to convert carotenoids to vitamin A. This is simply from generations of retinol and copper deficient mothers, passing this down. But never fear Mummas - this can be rebalanced. It's not the end of the story.
The body does know how to run when it’s given the right nutrients. We can rebuild the body. It can all be balanced again following the steps of the Root Cause Protocol.