How To Increase Bile Production
Bile is a digestive fluid produced by the liver, and stored and concentrated in the Gallbladder. Bile functions to break down and absorb fat and lipids, which are harder to digest than protein and carbohydrates. Bile also serves the function of detoxing, and carrying away hormones like estrogen and breakdown products away in the stool.
Increasing production of bile serves the purpose of increasing detoxification, especially of estrogen and toxins, and to restore and improve digestion, as well as improve gut flora balance and gut health. Bile is integral to the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and malnutrition can occur without adequate bile levels.
Indigestion, gut dysbiosis, stomach pains, irritable bowel syndrome, and other gut issues can be a symptom of and caused by low bile. Increasing bile production can also improve stomach acid and digestive enzyme production.
The digestion of food – of all protein, carbohydrates, and fats – is essential to the health of the gut, and integral to treating its conditions.
Diarrhea, or loose stools, such as from magnesium supplementation, can deplete bile levels in the gut.
As much as 95% of bile is actually recycled each day, and only a small fraction is cleared through stools each day. Fiber and charcoal also deplete bile, by binding it and ensuring its excretion, which can have benefit if bile production is sufficient.
The Ray Peat Carrot Salad – or raw carrots and insoluble fiber – depletes bile by binding to, and this effect is one of its benefits in lowering estrogen, which is excreted through bile.
Fiber – such as Psyllium Husk – lowers cholesterol by binding to bile and endotoxin.
When I would eat raw carrots or the Ray Peat carrot salad, I would get dry skin, as lipids and cholesterol were being diverted to bile synthesis in my already “slow” digestion.
Clearing bile and its contents can be very beneficial, but bile synthesis must be maintained to keep up, or other problems can occur.
Increasing Bile Production
1. Caffeine
Caffeine improves liver health and stimulates the production of bile – as well as stomach acid and the digestion of foods and liquids. I notice much better digestion when I have caffeine, almost like my gut and liver are “turned on”.
2. Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 improves liver health, thus improving bile production. Vitamin K2 has been found to improve liver health and improve liver-related conditions in studies.
3. Glucose
Sugars, such as fructose, from honey, fruits, date sugar, or other naturally sweet foods, supplies the liver with the raw ingredients to produce cholesterol, which is needed by the liver to do so. Sugar is needed by the liver to function properly, and to produce bile. Eat fruits and honey to increase bile production.
4. Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle improves liver health and bile production.
5. Taurine
The amino acid Taurine plays an essential role in the production of bile and bile salts, and supplementing with Taurine can increase bile production. Taurine has also been found to be very beneficial for liver health and glycogen synthesis, further improving bile production via improved liver function.
6. Bitter Foods & Vegetables
Bitter foods, such as beet tops or kale, purportedly increase bile production. Carrot juice and celery juice also apparently increase bile production, possibly by nourishing the liver with hydration and minerals. Artichoke, Radish, and Beets are other foods that can increase bile production.
7. Dandelion
Dandelion, such as Dandelion tea, has many benefits, one of which is increasing bile production.
8. Choline
Choline, which was thought to be a B vitamin, is very beneficial for liver health and thus bile production.
9. Citrus / Lemon Water
Citrus and lemon water help to cleanse the liver and stimulate it. Lemon water first thing in the morning is great for flushing out the toxins detoxed in the night and for waking the digestive tract and liver.
10. Ginger
Ginger is a great supplement for digestion and digestive issues. Ginger increases bile production, possibly by offsetting endotoxin and TLR4. Pickled Ginger is great with food and helps many people with upset stomach.
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