10/15/2025
Sharing from Pete Wurst. My thoughts are in the comments!
Bile isnโt just a digestive fluid โ itโs a metabolic multitasker. Produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, bile helps break down fats, clear out excess hormones, es**rt toxins out of the body, and even shape the health of your gut microbiome.
When bile becomes thick, stagnant, or underproduced โ a condition often triggered by poor diet, dehydration, stress, infections, estrogen dominance, impaired methylation, or missing a gallbladder entirely โ the entire terrain of the body begins to suffer.
Sluggish bile flow can also result from mineral deficiencies (especially magnesium and zinc), bile salt depletion, low stomach acid, heavy metal exposure, mold, and toxic overload that weakens the liver.
Sluggish bile = poor emulsification of fats, which means you're not absorbing fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K, or crucial fatty acids needed for your brain, skin, hormones, mitochondria, and immune system.
๐ฅ These nutrients regulate everything from night vision (vitamin A) and mood (vitamin D), to skin health (vitamin E), blood clotting (vitamin K), and mitochondrial repair (omega-3s and phospholipids).
Without proper bile flow, even the cleanest, healthiest diet can leave you nutrient-deficient.
But it doesnโt stop there. Bile also binds up used estrogen, cortisol, and thyroid hormones, helping to keep them in balance.
โ ๏ธ If bile is backed up, these old hormones can recirculate in the body, worsening PMS, breast tenderness, irritability, anxiety, hypothyroid symptoms, weight gain, and inflammatory overload.
This is a root cause of estrogen dominance and hormonal chaos that many doctors overlook โ especially in people with MTHFR mutations, poor liver function, or no gallbladder.
Even your gut feels the effects. Sluggish bile flow allows pathogenic microbes, parasites, candida, and SIBO to overgrow.
๐ก๏ธ Bile is naturally antimicrobial โ it keeps the microbial terrain in check and discourages unwanted invaders from colonizing the small intestine.
When bile trickles instead of flows, the gut becomes stagnant, motility slows, and the terrain becomes a toxic breeding ground for inflammation, histamine issues, leaky gut, and reabsorption of toxins.
Detox becomes dysfunctional. Toxins that should have exited via bile get recirculated, increasing the burden on your liver, kidneys, lymph, skin, and brain. This can show up as skin rashes, brain fog, fatigue, irritability, chemical sensitivity, headaches, and chronic inflammation.
If your gallbladderโs inflamed, sluggish, or gone (post-cholecystectomy), your body is still producing bile โ but now it may be dripping continuously in small amounts instead of releasing in strong pulses when needed.
โ ๏ธ This disrupts the timing of fat digestion, causes irritation in the intestines, and leads to bloating, loose stools, constipation, pain, and nutrient loss.
You may also be more prone to gallstones, bile sludge, or pain after fatty meals โ especially without bile thinners, ox bile, or bitters.
This is why supporting bile flow is foundational for anyone healing:
Hormone imbalances
Chronic fatigue
Acne, eczema, and skin issues
Brain fog and mood swings
Mold toxicity
Parasite infections
SIBO or candida
Poor detox from antibiotics, medications, or vaccines
Without healthy bile, everything backs up. Itโs like trying to take out the trash with a clogged drain.
๐ฟ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐
๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ (๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง)
๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ
โข Dandelion root, artichoke leaf, burdock, gentian, and andrographis stimulate the bitter receptors on your tongue and digestive tract. This triggers a reflexive release of bile, pancreatic enzymes, and stomach acid.
โข Bitters also tone the vagus nerve, enhance gutโbrain signaling, and help regulate blood sugar.
โข Best taken 10โ20 minutes before meals as tinctures or teas to โwake upโ digestion.
๐งฌ ๐๐ฑ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ (๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ)
โข Without a gallbladder, your liver still produces bile, but it trickles instead of surging. Ox bile supplements mimic the natural bolus of bile that would be released at meals.
โข Crucial for absorbing fat-soluble nutrients and preventing post-meal nausea, bloating, or greasy stools.
โข Choose clean, high-quality ox bile without fillers. Often paired with lipase or bile-stimulating herbs.
๐ง ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ (๐๐) ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง
โข PC is a phospholipid found in every cell membrane โ and a key component of bile. It makes bile less thick and sticky (less sludgy), which prevents stones and supports smooth flow.
โข Lecithin, found in sunflower or egg yolk, is a natural source of PC that also emulsifies fats and supports brain and liver health.
โข Especially important in estrogen dominance, mold exposure, or bile sludge.
โ๏ธ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ข๐ง๐ (๐๐ข๐ฅ๐-๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ)
โข These sulfur-containing amino acids are used by the liver to conjugate bile, making it water-soluble and easier to excrete.
โข Taurine also calms the nervous system, balances glutamate, and supports mitochondrial detox.
โข Glycine is anti-inflammatory, supports collagen, and boosts Phase II liver detox.
โข Often depleted in vegans/vegetarians or during chronic illness.
โข Use TUDCA (Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid) to directly thin and move bile when itโs stagnant or in cases of gallbladder removal, mold illness, cholestasis, or liver overload
โค๏ธ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ญ, ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ
โข Beetroot thins bile, supports liver detox pathways (esp. Phase II), and increases bile volume.
โข Lemon enhances bile fluidity, stimulates liver enzymes, and alkalizes the terrain.
โข Ginger improves motility, calms inflammation, and helps bile move smoothly into the intestine.
โข Juice, tea, or whole-food forms all work.
๐ก๏ธ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ
โข Increases lymphatic drainage, bile release, and circulation in the liverโgallbladder region.
โข Also soothes vagus nerve, improves peristalsis, reduces inflammation, and calms pain.
โข Best used with heat for 30โ60 minutes several times per week. Can be layered with essential oils (e.g., rosemary or ginger) for deeper effect.
โ๏ธ ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐๐ข๐ง๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ
โข Magnesium activates over 300 enzymes including those involved in bile transport, detox, and nerve function. Deficiency contributes to stagnation, constipation, and gallstone formation.
โข Zinc supports enzyme production and bile acid synthesis. Itโs essential for healing leaky gut and boosting immunity as well.
โข Potassium helps regulate fluid balance and bile flow. Low potassium = dry bile = sludge. Most are severely potassium-deficient due to modern diets.
โข These minerals are depleted by stress, sweating, medications, and processed food.
๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ
โข Dehydration thickens bile and slows liver function. But water without minerals can flush electrolytes and worsen cellular dehydration.
โข Use mineral-rich spring water, add a pinch of unrefined sea salt or trace mineral drops.
โข Sodium chloride + trace minerals are needed for bile production and vagus nerve function.
๐ซ ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐
๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ
โข Industrial seed oils (canola, soy, corn, etc.) damage liver cells, thicken bile, and create toxic peroxides that strain detox capacity.
โข Processed foods are devoid of nutrients needed for bile synthesis and may contain emulsifiers that disrupt the gut lining and bile recycling. Too many carbohydrates in the diet make bile thicker.
โข Xenoestrogens (from plastic, personal care products, pesticides, synthetic hormones) overburden the liver and recirculate in bile when not properly excreted.
โข Clean swaps + organic eating + low-tox living = smoother bile flow and hormonal balance.
