Introduction
One of the most common questions I get when working with patients is “Can my methylation problems cause digestion issues?” This question has come up over and over again as many people with methylation issues also have gut problems at the same time. It wouldn’t be accurate, in a strict scientific sense, to say that methylation issues cause digestion issues. There is no direct 1:1 relationship between the MTHFR gene mutation and digestive issues like GERD, irritable bowel, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, etc. If you look at the scientific literature you simply won’t find a lot of correlation on that specific issue. But scientific literature doesn’t tell us everything!
In fact there is a connection between poor digestion and methylation that involves the health and function of our gallbladder. As you will see the gallbladder plays a major role in optimum digestion and is directly related to methylation and MTHFR genes. Based on the biochemistry involved it is my opinion that the gallbadder is the most methylation-sensitive organ in our body. This might sound like a dramatic statement, but if you follow me through this article you will realize just how much methylation influences the health of our gallbladder.
Gallbladder, Gut and Detoxification
For starters we have to understand what bile is. Bile is basically soap. It performs nearly the exact same functions as your dish soap. Just like dish soap helps cut the grease and fats off your dishes, your bile helps break up the fats in your diet into small pieces. This process is often referred to as the emulsification function of bile – it literally acts like detergent on the fats we eat. Soap also rinses bacteria off your hands and bile rinses bacteria off the lining of your small intestine. This is one big reason why people with bile problems, which come from MTHFR and methylation problems, often develop SIBO.1 Lack of bile means too many bugs stuck to the walls of your upper small intestine, and this is a big issue for people who are struggling to overcome SIBO and get their gut back on track.
Bile is made out of cholesterol, produced in the liver and sent into the gallbladder for storage. By the time bile is in the gallbladder it is a mixture of mainly water, bile salts, fats and half a dozen other minerals and salts.2 This is what is actually supposed to be released after we eat a meal containing fat. Of course “should” doesn’t mean that it always will. High stress lifestyles, low stomach acid, estrogen dominance, toxin and pesticide exposure can all stop the bile from being released. All these things hurt our methylation cycle, which in turn hurts the gallbladder. Gallbladder removal remains one of the most common surgeries performed every year, indicating that a lot of people unknowingly have a methylation problem that is slowly destroying their gallbladder.
In addition to the ingredients listed above, bile does a few other things we might want to know about. The gallbladder doesn’t just help us digest fats, it has a huge influence on detox also. You know that life-critical function that keeps our body clean and healthy? Yeah, the gallbladder is huge for that process. I describe the gallbladder like a fatty trash can, collecting all the garbage that our liver is trying to remove. When that trash can is emptied several times a day it stays pretty clean. But if you are like millions of people who have compromised methylation, then the gallbladder trash can will get pretty sick and inflamed as it stews and soaks in toxic garbage. Yuck!
What ends up in the gallbladder is some pretty toxic stuff. The bile contains xenobiotics (bisphenol A, flame retardants, pesticides, glyphosate, etc.), hormones (thyroid, estrogen, etc.), and heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, etc.).3,4 Obviously if the gallbladder is the garbage can for the liver it will be carrying some nasty compounds. Many of these compounds like estrogen, mercury, and GMO pesticides require methylation to be fully detoxified. People with MTHFR genetics and an imbalanced methylation cycle are going to run out of methyl groups faster than other people. When someone runs out of methylation groups for their body’s biochemistry, the gallbladder will start to malfunction. Here is how that works.
As long as the bile is runny and healthy like dish soap (think about how slippery your soap is!) it will leave the gallbladder and run down into the gut quickly. That will make sure the toxins our liver is trying to remove leave our body in short order during the digestive process. Unfortunately, bile often gets very thick and becomes too sticky. Estrogen is notorious for causing gallbladder problems and women are far more susceptible to gallbladder stones than men. The estrogen women make and the estrogen women take must be removed, via methylation, through the gallbladder. The more estrogen that ends up inside our bodies the more methyl groups and B-vitamins we will need to get rid of it. A whole lot of estrogen (pregnancy, toxins, birth control pills for years, etc.) creates a very high need for methylation. But as you know not everyone can methylate in an optimum way and not everyone has good absorption of B-vitamins from their diet – these people will develop gallbladder problems unless they balance their digestion and methylation.
The vast majority of all our hormones, including estrogen, are removed by the liver. Methylation problems will cause the liver to run out of methyl groups quicker, and force it to use sugar to try to complete the phase 2 detox process – something science calls glucoronidation meaning to glue together with glucose.5 The higher our estrogen levels rise, the more methyl groups and sulfate groups are needed to detoxify the hormone. Eventually the body says “Enough! I have no more methyl groups or sulfate groups to waste on estrogen detox, so we will now use sugar because I have plenty of that.” As you know sugar can be kind of sticky. Bile should not be sticky!
When the liver shifts over to sugar for detoxification, the bile gets thick like molasses. Molasses doesn’t flow very fast, and there is no way bile thick as molasses is going to get out of the gallbladder and into your gut after you eat. Just isn’t happening. The gallbladder at this point just can’t get the bile out fast enough. The sugar being used to detoxify estrogen and other chemicals makes it so sticky that it gets sludgy. Many people find they have gallbladder sludge from an ultrasound, but what they aren’t told is it is caused by the body using sugar in place of methyl groups or sulfate groups. As the sticky, sludgy bile sits day after week after month after year, it begins to inflame and damage the gallbladder. This is when bile gets dehydrated, cholesterol starts to crystalize and the dreaded gallbladder stones begin to form. Not only does this “sticky” situation prevent adequate detoxification of bile, heavy metals, hormones, drugs and other toxins we need to remove, it will eventually create disease in the organ itself.
So the way we prevent this is through optimizing methylation by increasing taurine, phosphatidylcholine, folate, B12, and TMG. Taurine is produced by the methyl cycle, and when taurine is given to rats with gallbladder sludge, their bile gets slippery again and rescues their liver from damage.5 The methylation genes PEMT and BHMT are found in the liver and they make choline phospholipids which are necessary to keep the bile flowing.6 Choline protects the liver and gallbladder against damage from the detergent action of bile and it promotes movement of cholesterol into the bile so it can be removed from the body.7,8,9 When we run out of choline, cholesterol and fat literally get stuck in our liver and muscles, leading to fatty liver disease and muscle damage.10
My protocol for gallbladder support incorporates all of this methylation research with products designed to support all the key pathways mentioned here. Follow the advice you find below and you will be giving your gallbladder the methylation support it needs to take better care of your digestion. If more people took steps to support and protect their gallbladder, we would see a lot less SIBO, fewer surgeries, and a healthier group of people.
Recommended Supplementation for Gallbladder Health:
(This protocol helps whether you still have your gallbladder or even if it has been surgically removed)
Lipo-Flow – 2 tablets with each meal. This formula provides nutrients which help to the liver and gallbladder process fats more effectively and produce increased quantity of bile.†
Pan 5X – pancreatic enzymes that will help you break down your food. Take 1 or 2 tablets five minutes before meals/shakes/snacks. Will improve digestion and absorption of nutrients.†
Stress Essentials Relax– 2 capsules 3x per day with meals. Helps to support glutathione production in the liver and provides high doses of taurine to improve bile flow; also provides B6 which is necessary for multiple detoxification pathways inside the liver.†
HCl Support – HCl stomach acid that will support the digestion and break down of your food. Take this product right at the end of the meal. When using supplemental hydrochloric acid (Nutri HCl Support) for the first few times, please be sure to follow these directions carefully.
Always take this product immediately after the meal when your normal digestive processes have started.
Day 1: Take one HCl Support Support tablet at the end of each meal all day long.
Day 2: Take two HCl Support Support tablets at the end of each meal all day long.
Day 3 – Day 7: Continue increasing by one HCl Support Support tablet per day, for each meal, until you feel a warmth in your stomach, or until you reach seven HCl Support Support tablets per meal. Do not take more than seven tablets per meal.
When you experience the warming sensation in your stomach, reduce your dosage by one tablet.
NOTE: Drink 8 ounces of water with one tablespoon of baking soda if warming is uncomfortable.
IMPORTANT: This test should not be undertaken if there is gastritis or any recent history of gastric ulceration (stomach ulcers).
Recommended Supplementation for Healthy Estrogen Detoxification:
Estro Balance – promotes estrogen balance and relieves hormone-related symptoms by increasing methylation and detoxification of estrogen chemicals.†
I-3-C Plus – active ingredient indole-3-carbinol promotes healthy metabolism of estrogen, protects against estrogen-related cancers and optimizes estrogen detoxification.†
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All supplements in this nutritional protocol can be purchased online through Dr. Rostenberg’s online pharmacy. Getting the supplements shipped to your door is very easy. Just follow the instructions below:
These supplements are available from our NutriDyn web store. You will find our prices are competitive with other outlets.
Just click on “Create an Account” in the top right corner to get started. The practitioner code is 102601.
[/highlighttext][/highlight]NutriDyn batch tests every single raw ingredient. Meaning, they test every batch, every time before it is processed into a supplement. I’m not aware of any other company that puts that kind of expense and effort into product quality.
Conclusion
In closing, methylation problems by themselves won’t give you a digestive issue. What MTHFR and methylation issues will do is weaken the function of your gallbladder. Once that starts, then your digestion can really fall apart. In the modern world of stress, toxins and malnutrition gallbladders are being destroyed at a rapid rate. People just aren’t being educated about the amazing things that bile does for us, nor are they being told how to support optimum gallbladder and bile function. It doesn’t have to be that way for you and your loved ones. Support methylation, keep the bile running, and your gut will thank you!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
By studying the current peer-reviewed research, Dr. Rostenberg has discovered powerful, natural strategies to optimize gut and methylation function to heal the body. He can help you uncover the genetic or root causes of your health problem and find a natural solution! If you would like help improving your gallbladder and digestion to help reduce/eliminate your symptoms, please contact Dr. Rostenberg at Red Mountain Natural Medicine today. Phone 208-322-7755. Email care@redmountainclinic.com. Website http://www.redmountainclinic.com
REFERENCES
- Monte MJ, Marin JJ, Antelo A, et al. Bile acids: chemistry, physiology, and pathophysiology. World J Gastroenterol. 2009 Feb 21;15(7):804-16.
- Guyton AC, Hall JE. Textbook of Medical Physiology, 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier, 2006, p. 803.
- Hagenbuch B, Dawson P. The sodium bile salt cotransport family SLC10. Pflugers Arch. 2004 Feb;447(5):566-70.
- Stieger B. The role of the sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) and of the bile salt export pump (BSEP) in physiology and pathophysiology of bile formation. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2011;(201):205-59.
- Sánchez Pozzi EJ, Crocenzi FA, Pellegrino JM, et al. Ursodeoxycholate reduces ethinylestradiol glucuronidation in the rat: role in prevention of estrogen-induced cholestasis. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2003 Jul;306(1):279-86.
- Sehayek E, Wang R, Ono JG, et al. Localization of the PE methylation pathway and SR-BI to the canalicular membrane: evidence for apical PC biosynthesis that may promote biliary excretion of phospholipid and cholesterol. J Lipid Res. 2003 Sep;44(9):1605-13. PMID: 12810817
- Smith AJ, de Vree JM, Ottenhoff R, et al. Hepatocyte-specific expression of the human MDR3 P-glycoprotein gene restores the biliary phosphatidylcholine excretion absent in Mdr2 (-/-) mice. Hepatology. 1998 Aug;28(2):530-6.
- Denk GU, Bikker H, Lekanne Dit Deprez RH, et al. ABCB4 deficiency: A family saga of early onset cholelithiasis, sclerosing cholangitis and cirrhosis and a novel mutation in the ABCB4 gene. Hepatol Res. 2010 Sep;40(9):937-41.
- Pasmant E, Goussard P, Baranes L, et al. First description of ABCB4 gene deletions in familial low phospholipid-associated cholelithiasis and oral contraceptives-induced cholestasis. Eur J Hum Genet. Mar 2012; 20(3): 277–282.
- da Costa KA, Kozyreva OG, Song J, et al. Common genetic polymorphisms affect the human requirement for the nutrient choline. FASEB J. 2006 Jul;20(9):1336-44.
†This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
†The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
†In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or 911 immediately. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.
Hi Andrew!
Learning more about this and will have to re-order supplements soon.
That HCL stomach acid page would not come up…404 error, page not found.
It is really awesome that you did all this research! I know it will help me feel better!
Lila
Hi Lila,
Thanks for your comment. I have fixed the link to the instructions; should be all good now. And yes, HCl supplementation will help you feel better!
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
This article was so helpful! I finally understand so much that was previously a mystery! Thank you!
The link to the HCL stomach acid dosage instructions is broken. Will you please provide the info to me by email?
Thank you!
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for your comment. I have fixed the link and emailed you the right instructions.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
My gallbladder was removed a decade ago. What should I now be doing to help my body to detoxify?
Can you give some direction for those of us who have had our gallbladder removed *and* are struggling with estrogen dominance. I am taking DIIM Detox to help with the estrogen.
Thank you for this excellent article! I just had my gallbladder removed in September, would these supplements still be a benefit to my body?
Hi Laena,
The same protocol is used whether or not you still have a gallbladder. People without a gallbladder need to take support like this every day.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
Thank you for explaining everything in a way I could understand. Do you have suggestions or another article for people who already have their gallbladder removed? Would you still recommend the same products in this article? Thanks!
Hi,
Great article. Do you have any information for those of us who have MTHFR and have had our gallbladder removed. I have hypothyroid issues along with low testosterone and progesterone. I recently found out I have candidia. Thank you for your help.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for your comment. You want to take the exact same supplements to support your liver and bile production. After the gallbladder has been removed, you will want to take the protocol ongoing to make sure whenever you eat that your bile production and release is optimized. Not only that you will also be supporting your methylation pathways which have fantastic long-term benefits. Hope that helps. Happy New Year!
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
This is awesome. I had gall stones and gallbladder disease in my early 20s, even though i was underweight and had never had children. Subsequently had it removed. No one could ever explain why that happened at such an early age. I have recently discovered, at age 49, I am homozygous for MTHFR 677, among other things, which explains a lot. The above protocol is helpful, I will be sharing this article with my functional doctor. Will it work for someone who doesn’t have a gall bladder any more? Thank you for all of your research!
Hi Traci,
Thanks for your comment. I recommend the same protocol whether you have your gallbladder or not. The gallbladder support nutrients will be the same in either case. Thanks and Happy New Year!
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
Very interesting. I’m sure this is how I lost my gallbladder! And I currently have muscle issues and a slightly faty liver. What would you suggest for someone who finds out too late that they have MTHFR and have lost their gallbladder??
Hi Lori,
Thanks for your comment. I recommend the same protocol whether you have your gallbladder or not. Really the nutrients will be the same in either case. Thanks and Happy New Year!
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
I am homozygous for MTHFR c667t. AND I have had my gall bladder removed. Would the protocol mentioned above still be helpful? I suffered with abdominal pain most of my adult life and at age 42, my gall bladder was removed following my pregnancy with only child. Thank you.
Hi Alexandra,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, your MTHFR mutation and your gallbladder are intimately related as I have shown in my article. The supplements supply methylation support for the MTHFR pathway as well as bile support and gallbladder nutrition. Pregnancy is hard on the gallbladder, with all the estrogen of pregnancy it puts a lot of strain on the MTHFR and gallbladder pathways.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
Hello, what does one do if the gallbladder has already been removed?
Hi Liz,
Thanks for your comment. If your gallbladder has already been removed, then the protocol I recommended still makes sense. Basically you should expect to be on these supplements in some form everyday to help your liver release more bile and keep it flowing in a healthy way.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
Will the estrogen detoxification impact birth control efficacy?
Hi Vanessa,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, by increasing detoxification of estrogens – human estrogen, birth control, toxic man-made estrogens, etc. – you will be reducing the effectiveness of oral birth control. That is a personal choice and one that must be made carefully. Truly we are poisoning women, men and children with all the birth control that gets into the water supply and consumed by everyone. A woman’s lifetime risk of cancer is directly related to her lifetime exposure to estrogen. Birth control estrogen is 100-500x stronger than your natural estradiol, so it really is a toxin at the end of the day. Best choice for birth control are condoms – safe for your cells, your metabolism, etc. If that isn’t an option and BC pills are the only way, you must realize that the products which detoxify estrogen are so strong they can make your birth control ineffective. So take extra precautions! Hope that helps.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
I came upon this post a few days ago. I am a poster child for this. So i ordered Lipo-Gen and Blisphora and it came super fast. I’ve followed the protocol given for those two (along with continuing to take Bio-gest that I already had, with meals.)
So now I am super super thirsty. Is this a side affect of my body increasing methylation? And what do I do about this!!?
Hi Lori,
Thanks for your comment. If you experience increase thirst it is a good idea to increase your clean water intake by 16-24 oz. per day. The target for each of us is to drink half our body-weight in ounces of water per day.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
I nearly fell off my chair while reading this post. I have been struggling with digestive issues for 7 years now. My hair and nails are very weak despite taking biotin and a folate multi. I am suspicious that my GI tract is compromised and this has impacted how I process nutrients.
I also suspect taking 4X the dose of Folic acid (not folate) as instructed by my (Old) reproductive endocrinologist) for nearly 6 years has further ‘gummed’ me up.
How long should you follow this protocol?
I tested high bilirubin on recent blood work and have gb pain – would a retest of bilirubin in 3 months after using the protocol most likely show normal bilirubin levels again? How will I know it is working – just no pain?
In the past when I have tried to take DIM – I get LRQ abd pain – something I used to experience from endometriosis – so I hesitate to restart – but measure at the high end for estrogen and carry weight in hips and bottom.
Hi Heather,
Thanks for your comment. People with poor gallbladder function or a gallbladder removed should be on some kind of support every day. It just needs to be supported every time we eat, esp. with fats. So you take the protocol as long as is needed, possibly ongoing for a long time. Testing bilirubin again in 3 months is a good idea. Hope that helps.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
Hello. I’m 24, male, from Latvia.
I’m very glad that I have found your aticles. Thank you very much for them.
I’m always (for ~7 years) having fatigue after meals + impossible to concentrate, poor memory.
Last summer I did blood test, and found that I have high homocysteine and low folic acid, B12, D3 vits.
After taking these vits and folic acid, I did blood test againg, and it was OK.
But my problems didn’t solve. (I always was stressed, anxious, couldn’t concentrate, normally think and poor memory, fatigue after meals etc.)
That summer I did genetic test for Gilbert’s syndrome, and I have it.
Now I know that these symptoms I wrote above, they are GS symptoms.
Maybe you know something about GS? How is possible to improve live with this disease?
And how is possible to find out do I have MTHFR mutations? Is there is genetic test?
Sometimes I have pains in gallblader area, and have digestion problems as diarrhea or slow digestion, i’m underweight – only 55 kilos. Feels like I’m getting intoxicated from my digestion, as food is not digested completely and is inside to long.
Thank you very much, hoping on answer.
Thank you for this article. I had to have my gallbladder removed when my first born was 14 months old, now I understand why! I am MTHFR homozygous and suspect this is also affecting my Hashimoto’s disease. I am looking to purchase the supplement but notice many have overlapping ingredients. Can too many B vitamins or folate be bad for you? I also am heterozygous for COMT so. It sure how that affects this process either.
Hi Kelli,
Thanks for your comment. The gallbladder support supplements are designed to work together. Some ingredient overlap but that isn’t a cause for concern since the levels of B vitamins are not very high. It is possible to have a bad reaction to anything we eat and that includes B vitamins. However people who can’t tolerate B vitamins know this because they have a flare up of anxiety, pain, insomnia, etc. every time they take them. Most people tolerate them perfectly well. People with issues in there methylation cycle simply have terrible times with their gallbladder and this is why the gallbladder is the most sensitive indicator for methylation issues. Like the video shows, our gallbladder is very dependent on healthy methylation in order to function.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
Doesnt choline supplementation increase prostate cancer risk? Please help.
Hi Rohit,
Thanks for your comment. Choline is an amazing nutrient which we cannot live without. Our body makes it, but in many people genetics reduces the efficiency of well we produce choline. The answer is to make sure there is good choline in the diet – seafood, sunflower lecithin, organic grass-fed beef/buffalo, etc. Meat has a large amount of choline and so do eggs. Now, the problem is that choline can be eaten in our gut by bad bacteria. These bad bacteria consume (steal) our choline and then poop out a toxin which eventually turns into TMAO. This TMAO molecule causes inflammation and leads to heart disease, stroke, etc. So choline is good, it is the gut that must be improved to benefit from the a choline-rich diet. Yet again more proof that the gut is the place to start!
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
The links are not working.
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for your comment! We are fixing the links ASAP and appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We have been very busy on the past few weeks and apparently some of the links have broken. Stay on the look out for updated links and supplement bundles to help with the ordering process.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg
Hello, can we get these taurine, phosphatidylcholine, folate, B12, and TMG from eating beef liver every day? Because nearly all of them are in beef liver. Thank you.
Hello, You mention in the ‘Gut Origins of Methylation’ article that gut infections ought to be resolved before optimizing methylation, however this article seems to suggest the opposite (since gallbladder problems can cause and/or aggravate SIBO). I have a dysfunctional gallbladder that has led to SIBO and all kinds of follow-on ugliness. Should I start with the gallbladder protocol, the SIBO protocol or go all in? Thanks!
Hello Eddie,
Thanks for your comment. You are asking a good question. When treating SIBO we need to make sure the gallbladder pathway is supported. The gallbladder is heavily influenced by the methylation cycle and many times methylation support like methylB12, 5MTHF, and choline increase gallbladder function. However, as you correctly point out we don’t want to feed the SIBO infection by using supplements with high amounts of methyl groups – until the infection is under control which may take 2 weeks or 2 months or more. When gallbladder issues are present at the same time SIBO is present, the goal is to help treat the SIBO and also support the gallbladder. We can support the gallbladder with herbs which are a huge help and also with taurine, B6 and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). This type of an approach avoids the methyl groups which tend to make SIBO worse, while still giving the gallbladder the support it needs to function better. Over time after the SIBO issue resolves, methyl B vitamins can be introduced and they will likely be just fine. This is the method we use in our office to deal with these issues. If you would like our help then don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us 208-322-7755 and care@redmountainclinic.com.
In Health,
Dr. Rostenberg