Spring is a time of renewal and detoxification. Spring cleaning is as helpful for your body as it is for your closet! There are many different ideas out there on fasting, detoxification diets, regimens and flushes. Every week I am asked about the validity of gallbladder flushes. Though the specifics vary, most gallbladder flushes encourage people to drink lemon juice and olive oil. The result should be the passing of “gallstones” in the stool. In the December 2007 issue of the Townsend Letter, Dr. Alan Gaby reports that there is no clear evidence that gallbladder flushes actually clear stones from the gallbladder. He contends that these “gallstones” could result from the mixing of olive oil and lemon juice. Additionally, he reports that no researcher has ever found through imaging studies or chemical analysis that the white pellets expelled after a gallbladder flush are actually stones from the gallbladder.

I am not aware of any practice similar to a gallbladder flush in the Chinese medical literature. In Chinese medical theory, the gallbladder is regarded as an “extraordinary” organ whose function is vitally important for liver health. There are a number of regulating, gentle acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas geared towards supporting the gallbladder. In short, the Chinese medical perspective holds that is that it is far better to avoid making gallstones than it is to try to flush them out.

So what is the best way to spring clean? I like detoxification programs that focus on providing the liver with the specific amino acids, vitamins and minerals needed for optimal detoxification. Ensuring that the intestines and urinary system are working well will further enhance the body’s ability to neutralize and expel toxins. Ideally, people should following a detoxification program individualized for them and formulated by their health care provider.