The pancreas, liver, and bile can be figuratively in good or very bad relationship in the human body. In a healthy situation, they can work together, but in an unhealthy situation, they can harm each other and cause disease. For example, both the bile and the pancreas (pancreatic lipase) are responsible for the proper digestion of fats. For example, gallbladder stones or pancreatic cancer can form bile blockages that cause major problems for the liver and pancreas.
To truly understand the relationship between the liver, bile, and pancreas, it is necessary to understand the structure and function of these organs.
The liver is our body’s main chemical factory and performs many very important functions. Everything we eat and digest goes to the liver, and the liver uses food supplies to make essential nutrients for our entire body.
The most important functions of the liver are to make and release bile and to remove toxins from our body. Bile provides the removal of a variety of toxic substances from the body. These substances include the products of the body’s metabolism such as cholesterol and bile pigments, as well as some toxic chemicals, drugs, and heavy metals.
Liver cells secrete bile into a network of ducts. These ducts join to form the common bile duct, which carries bile from the gallbladder and liver. The common bile duct merges with the pancreatic duct. The pancreatic duct carries pancreatic juice with digestive enzymes from the pancreas into a small cavity (the ampulla of Vater) that opens into the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine.
It is very important that the pressure in the pancreatic duct is always greater than the pressure in the bile duct; therefore, bile cannot reach the pancreatic cells. The mixture of bile and pancreatic juice passes through the Ampulla of Vater into the duodenum.
Surrounding the common bile duct, pancreatic duct, and duodenal wall is a muscular valve called the sphincter of Oddi. The sphincter of Oddi controls secretions from the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder into the duodenum. Spasm or obstruction of this muscular valve can cause pancreatic juice to back up into the pancreatic duct. Digestive enzymes trapped within the pancreas begin to digest its own pancreatic cells, causing congestion, inflammation, pain, cysts, and eventually death of the pancreatic tissue.
Hepatitis, fatty liver, Candida yeast overgrowth, parasites, congestion, inflammation, infection, high acidity in the body, and poor eating habits can cause bile to become thick and acidic, which makes it difficult to move through the tubes and valves.
When bile becomes thick and acidic it also becomes very aggressive. This means that the aggressive bile irritates and corrodes the walls of the ducts, causing bile reflux: bile traffic in the opposite direction. This causes spasm of the sphincter of Oddi and the pancreatic and common bile ducts. This is very dangerous because instead of the toxic acidic bile going to the duodenum, the thick toxic acidic bile goes to the pancreas, which activates pancreatic digestive enzymes within the pancreas. Thus, pancreatitis begins.
Furthermore, when the acidic, aggressive and toxic bile is expelled into the duodenum, it erodes and irritates the walls of the intestine and causes duodenal ulcers. This aggressive bile causes the walls of the duodenum to contract with a sudden movement that pushes the bile into the stomach or even the esophagus. This bile/pancreatic reflux can cause inflammation of the stomach and esophagus, ulcers, and possibly cancer.
Good digestion in the gastrointestinal tract largely depends on the proper quality and sufficient quantity of bile and pancreatic juice full of good digestive enzymes. In contrast, digestive symptoms such as belching, heartburn, nausea, constipation/diarrhea, abdominal cramps or pain, gas, bloating are signs of indigestion and may show impaired function of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.
So pancreas, liver, and gallbladder health all connect to a few important things. Bile and pancreatic juices should be liquid and alkaline.
Any kind of factors that cause dehydration negatively influence the liquidity of pancreatic juice and bile.
The harmful action of the acidity of the body draws more and more attention from scientists and doctors. Aging and many diseases cause acidity throughout the body or are a consequence of chronic acidosis – accumulation of acidic substances in the tissues. The ones that suffer the most from acidity throughout the body are the alkaline digestive glands such as the liver and pancreas.
Heartburn is becoming an epidemic in today’s modern society due to the abundance of acid-forming processed foods: meats, sugars, white flour, white rice, soft drinks, etc. Alcohol is very acidic and toxic, so it is not surprising that people who drink alcohol suffer more disorders of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas.
By common sense, in all symptoms of indigestion it is prudent to stop the consumption of foods and acid-forming substances. Simple chemistry requires neutralizing acidity to supply the body with minerals and bicarbonates, which are found in large amounts in fresh fruits and vegetables.
There is another way to provide the body with minerals and bicarbonates. Europeans have known this for hundreds of years. There are many healthy mineral spas throughout Europe where healthy and sick people spend healthy vacations. Most North Americans tend to think of mineral water as something to drink as a snack or with meals. However, for more than 500 years, European doctors have used mineral water for Health and Well-being.
The Czech city of Karlovy Vary has been a legendary European healing spa since the 18th century.
According to legend, one of the first patients was the Roman Emperor and Bohemian King Charles IV (Karl IV), after whom the city of Karlovy Vary (Charles Springs – Karlsbad) was named in 1370.
European doctors became interested in springs and many books, articles and medical dissertations confirmed the beneficial effects of drinking cures.
Karlovy Vary mineral water was so popular for curing digestive disorders that since 1764 Karlovy Vary natural salt has been produced by evaporating the mineral waters of the famous Vridlo thermal spring.
By dissolving genuine Karlovy Vary mineral salt in warm water, everyone can get the healing mineral water with healing properties identical to water from Karlovy Vary hot springs.
By measuring the pH of saliva and urine with litmus paper, one can see the change to a normal, slightly alkaline level of these fluids after drinking Karlovy Vary Healing Mineral Water at home.
Bile and pancreatic juice are an alkaline mineral solution. Nutritional supplementation with special forms of magnesium and potassium as natural to our body, Krebs organic acid salts can also neutralize the acidity of the whole body and promote good quality of bile and pancreatic juice.
Fat in food is a normal trigger to open the valve and move bile and pancreatic juice into the small intestine. Due to the slogan “No Fat, No Cholesterol”, Americans avoid fatty foods, mistakenly mixing good fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, butter, nuts with bad fats like animal fats and artificial trans fats. Deficiency of good fats can lead to congestion of bile and pancreatic juice with gallbladder stones, shortage of fat-soluble vitamins, and indigestion.
Thousand-year-old people used spicy herbs anise, chamomile, fennel, ginger, oregano, mint, sage, thyme, turmeric, etc. for better digestion. These herbs can promote the production and elimination of bile and pancreatic juice, so they can be helpful for digestive disorders.
Many Americans are aware of the use of acupuncture for low back pain, but don’t realize that this ancient method is highly beneficial for many disorders of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Acupuncture in experienced hands can relieve abdominal spasms and pain, stop diarrhea, improve peristalsis, decrease appetite, and even promote the elimination of small stones in the gallbladder.
Mother Nature placed most of the digestive organs in the abdomen.
There is a big crowd there. If one organ starts to move slowly or even stops, everything goes wrong and the entire digestive system suffers. Each organ needs its space to function. The most “difficult” position holds the pancreas. The pancreas is compressed between the stomach, duodenum, liver, spleen, left large intestine, aorta, inferior vena cava, and spinal column. There is really no room in this area.
If a person suffers from gas or constipation, the pressure inside the abdomen increases, similar to tight cloth or belts. Compression of the internal abdominal organs causes them to stick together and lead to adhesions. This, in turn, causes further restrictions in movement and congestion.
For thousands of years, healers have used massage techniques to “move” and stimulate proper function of all the digestive organs to relieve pain and discomfort.
Unlike in Europe, the American words “dietize” and “diet” primarily refer to the deliberate selection of foods to control body weight, but not for curative purposes for different types of medical conditions. Diet changes are vitally important in any digestive disorder. Food is cheap, safe and effective medicine.
In short, all diseases of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas do not suddenly fall from the sky. They often took 5 to 15 years to develop. We have to listen to our body because even the small symptoms of indigestion can be small alarm bells of serious problems in the future.
Non-drug, no-scalpel approaches can stop the process and postpone the deterioration of many disorders of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Do not try them yourself, self-treatment is a risky business. The goal is to find the knowledgeable health care provider or even the team of professionals.
The information in this article is presented for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for diagnosis, treatment and advice from a qualified licensed professional.