Evidence supporting the use of: Bile
For the health condition: Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)
Synopsis
Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 3
Bile supplements, often in the form of ox bile extract, are used to support digestion in individuals with a sluggish gallbladder (biliary insufficiency) or after gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy). The rationale is that the gallbladder stores and concentrates bile, releasing it in response to fatty meals. After removal, bile flows continuously and less efficiently, which can impair fat digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Scientific literature, including reviews and case reports, supports that some individuals experience steatorrhea (fatty stools), bloating, and nutritional deficiencies post-cholecystectomy, and that bile acid supplementation can mitigate these symptoms (World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2009; Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2014). Bile acid therapy (such as ursodeoxycholic acid) is also used in specific cholestatic liver diseases, but standard bile extract is less well studied. The overall evidence for routine supplementation is moderate: while clinical experience and some studies report symptomatic benefit, there is a lack of large randomized controlled trials specifically on bile extract for post-cholecystectomy digestive symptoms. Therefore, while not universally recommended, bile supplementation is scientifically plausible and has some supporting evidence, especially for patients with ongoing digestive complaints after gallbladder removal.
More about bile
More about Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)
Other ingredients used for Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)
American LiverleafAngelica
apple
artichoke
atractylodes
avens
Baccharoides anthelmintica
barberry
beet
Berberis (unspecified)
bile
bile acid
bile salt
birch
bitter grass
bitter principals
black nightshade
Boerhavia diffusa
boldo
bovine
Brassica
Bupleurum
bupleurum falcatum
bur-reed
burdock
carqueja
castor oil
chicory
cholic acid
cleavers
colocynth
cornsilk
costus
couch grass
cynarin
dandelion
dehydrocholic acid
Dianthus
duodenal substance
endive
enzymes blend (proprietary)
fat liver oil
fiber
Fumaria parviflora
fumitory
ginger
goldenrod
Hedyotis
Herb Robert
horseradish
Indian bael
Kefir
Kokilaksha
lemon
licorice root
lipase
Milk thistle
Momordica
mustard seed
Myrrh
oregon grape
ox bile
pancreatin
papaya
parsley
pear
peony
phellodendron amurense
phosphatidylcholine
probiotics
punarnava
rockweed
Sete sangrias
Sichuan Lovage
Silybum
silymarin
Solanum indicum
Southern Tsangshu
Taraxacum
Taurocholic acid
Taurodeoxycholic acid
Triphala
turmeric
Varuna
Wax Gourd
Winter Begonia
Wulinshen
Other health conditions supported by bile
Digestion (poor)Gall Bladder (sluggish or removed)
Indigestion
