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Natural Liver & Gall Bladder Cleanse

October 9, 2009 by Katie Wells
Should I do a liver cleanse

I get a lot of questions about liver and gallbladder problems so I am posting a cleanse that is designed to flush out toxins from the liver and gallstones from the gallbladder. It is a relatively inexpensive cleanse and can be done with things from your grocery store.

Natural Gallbladder Cleanse

Please note that I am only posting this because I’ve gotten requests. Not everyone should do a liver cleanse and I highly recommend checking with a doctor first. For more information on this cleanse, visit this link.

If you’re having gallbladder issues and trying to understand why, I highly recommend this podcast.

Gallbladder Cleanse Ingredients

To start a simple liver/gallbladder cleanse, this is what you will need:

  • Apple juice or malic acid supplements (optional)
  • 4 Tablespoons of Epsom Salts
  • 1/2 Cup of Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 big grapefruit, or 3 lemons

Gallbladder Cleanse Instructions

  1. For 4-5 days before your liver flush, eat as many apples, or drink as many apple juice as you can. You can take malic acid supplements if you wish if you can’t drink the juice. In the last 2 days, drink 8 oz of apple juice every 2-3 hours. Doing this will help ensure the liver flush is successful.
  2. On day 6, eat a light breakfast with no fat. This enables the bile in your liver to accumulate, putting pressure in your liver. This pressure will eliminate more stones in your liver.
  3. At 2:00 PM, the same day, mix 4 Tablespoons of Epsom Salts in 3 cups of water, pouring all this into some jar. Do NOT drink or consume any foods after 2 PM. This is extremely important! Put this jar in the cooler/refrigerator to make it cold
  4. At 6:00 PM, drink 3/4 cup of this mixture. It will taste very bad… but you can add 1/8 tablespoons of powdered Vitamin C to make it taste better.
  5. At 8 PM, drink another 3/4 cup of this mixture. Get all your errands done, and prepare for the liver flush. You shouldn’t be doing ANYTHING after doing a liver flush, just lying down and sleeping.
  6. At 9:45 PM, pour 1/2 cup of virgin olive oil into a jar. Squeeze the entire grapefruit into the mix, removing the pulp with a fork, or chopsticks. You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cups of grapefruit juice mixed with the virgin olive oil the jar. Close the jar, and shake it very hard until it is all liquid.
  7. At 10 PM, drink this mixture. You may drink it through some large straw if that makes it easier for you. Try to get it all down by 5 mins or so.
  8. Lay down in your bed as soon as you are down. This is crucial, and most people do this wrong. Don’t do any work, don’t even bother brushing your teeth! Just lay down immediately! Lay on your right side, with your right knee up towards your chin for 20 or so mins. Stay still, and try not to move at all. Try to sleep.
  9. The next morning, when you wake up, drink a 3rd dose of your 3/4 cup Epsom salts. You can go back to sleep afterwards.
  10. Two hours later, drink the last dose of Epsom salts.
  11. Only after 2 more hours can you eat anything, but do not eat solid fruits just yet. Start with liquids, and move slowly to fruit.

Ever done a liver or gall bladder cleanse? How’d it go?

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Category: Natural Remedies

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder and CEO of Wellness Mama and Co-Founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (541 Comments)

  1. Sheree

    September 11, 2014 at 4:43 PM

    Hi. In the first 4-5 days, what are acceptable types and amounts of food, if any. Or is it strictly liquids???

    Reply
    • Christina Powers

      October 6, 2014 at 9:35 AM

      Yes, I have the same question. I want to start this cleanse today. I have been on a 15 day juice detox. Do we eat during the 4-5 days or is it just all apples and apple juice?

      Reply
      • Sally

        September 16, 2015 at 11:53 AM

        Eat normal healthy food and drink mainly water and then in addition to your normal food add the apple juice…..

        Reply
        • Robin

          September 28, 2016 at 5:46 PM

          the post says avoid heavy foods including proteins – besides fruits and vegetables which get really boring fast, what else do you people eat since we are supposed to eat LIGHTLY to make it easier for the body to process the foods while ridding stones. I was trying to be on an autoimmune diet, and not really supposed to be eating legumes, eggs, certain foods anyway – but I will if i need to so i don’t feel like I’m starving.

          Reply
  2. martius

    September 5, 2014 at 5:36 AM

    Is it 100% necessary to fall asleep after you take the mixture on the sixth day? I read articles and watched videos with people saying that this is a MUST for the procedure to work. And I’ve always had problems with sleeping. I don’t want to take any sleeping pills too, because as I am now, my body can’t handle any more intoxication from meds (took an aspirin a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t stand up from bed for a few days from fatigue – my liver’s really bad).

    Reply
    • Kirsty

      December 6, 2014 at 5:22 PM

      Hi, In the comments above I have just clicked on the cure zone link and it says this: You should have at least 2 hours to slowly walk after you drink the cup with oil-juice mixture.

      I have asked the original poster if this is what she does as I would like to do this during the day instead of night, it will be interesting to find out and may help you too.

      Reply
      • Sally

        September 16, 2015 at 11:52 AM

        no you need to lie down and lying down for the whole night will help the process…..that is why it is advised to do it last thing at night.

        Reply
        • Robin

          September 28, 2016 at 6:10 PM

          lie flat on your back with pillows propping your head up – the head needs to be higher then the body

          Reply
  3. abi

    August 21, 2014 at 4:30 PM

    Hi, I am taking capsule omeprazol for my heart burn. Its not very serious but I have a heart burn. Can I take the liver cleansing?

    Than you

    Reply
    • sally

      December 15, 2014 at 5:24 PM

      Heartburn an be due to low levels of gastric acid and therefore replacing gastric acid during meals. Increase the dose of hydrochloric acid (with betaine) by one tablet with each large meal until you feel a hot sensation in the stomach area. At this point pull back by one tablet when eating each large meal and this is your dose with each meal in the future. If you ever feel that hot sensation again then reduce the tablets by one again. Smaller meals always have one less tablet than for larger meals.
      Best of luck.

      However, I don’t see why this should be a problem and contraindicative; having a liver flush.

      Reply
    • Deb

      April 17, 2015 at 11:26 PM

      If you have heartburn then maybe your stomach acids are out of balance and you should try probiotic capsules. It helps return the acids back to balance and in turn increases overall health.

      I have just finished the cleanse, have never used any apple juice before starting and it was much different this time than the previous 2. Previously after 90min of taking the first two glasses of epsom salt I was on/off the toilet for 30min then it stopped. This time I never visited the toilet before the olive oil/lemon mixture and only 4-5 visits next morning after olive oil/lemon drink.

      Question: Are gallstones supposed to be soft?
      Comments previously said the green pea like stones were gallstones, but I fished out one and found it to be squashable.

      Reply
      • lindsay

        May 5, 2015 at 1:23 AM

        Yes, they are soft

        Reply
      • Sally

        September 16, 2015 at 11:50 AM

        Apple juice softens the ‘stones’. Most stones are cholesterol, fats, bile stones and ‘rubbish’ such as toxins, bacteria, heavy metals, etc…..however, some contain calcium too and these are the ones which are much harder…..calcium after all is added to cement in order to harden the concrete mixture! Not all ‘stones’ produced by this liver flush will have calcium most will be squishy and soft.

        Reply
        • Katherine H

          September 25, 2015 at 7:55 PM

          Just wondering, I cannot stand the taste of apple juice or cider, so is there anything else I can drink instead?

          Reply
          • Michelle

            September 27, 2015 at 6:29 AM

            I believe citric acid juices would work (other than grapefruit juice).

          • Glen

            September 27, 2015 at 11:39 AM

            Andreas Moritz says:
            Drink one 32-ounce bottle of apple juice or 8-ounce bottle of tart cherry juice each day

            We have done our last flush using only organic tart cherry juice instead of the apple juice. We got the same result from the flush as we did when we used apple juice.
            For us, the best part was only having to drink 8 oz a day as opposed to 32 oz! And it tastes like cherry pie!

            Good luck!

      • Michelle

        September 4, 2016 at 2:25 AM

        What did you use previously instead of apple juice? I did a cleanse a month ago using apple cider vinager and water. Also my timings were out by 1 hour with one of my Epsom salt drinks. I am convinced I did not pass any stones although I did not attempt to catch them. I thought I would see them as the Andreas Moritz book says that they float. Quite disheartening to do all that prep and not see any results.

        Reply
  4. Julie

    August 17, 2014 at 12:00 PM

    Unfortunately, I did not discover that my gall bladder issue was probably related to my consumption of grains until many years after its removal. Are there any supplements or particular foods that I should be avoiding due to my not having my gall bladder? As always, thank you for your suggestions, Katie! This website has provided me with a ton of helpful information.

    Reply
  5. Nad

    August 7, 2014 at 8:51 PM

    Hello

    When it says to drink 8oz of apple juice every 2-3 hours the last two days, do I have to get up in the middle of the night to drink?
    Tks

    Reply
    • sally

      December 15, 2014 at 5:18 PM

      No drink the apple juice throughout the daytime.

      Reply
  6. Pauline

    July 12, 2014 at 6:16 AM

    Hi. What a great cleanse. I’m so exhausted n have so many allergies I want to try this. I have no gallbladder. How does the cleanse change? Can u outline instructions for those of us who already have no-gallbladder? Thank-you

    Reply
    • Jackie Faulhaber

      August 5, 2014 at 9:41 AM

      I have my gallbladder and appendix removed many years ago. Can I still do this cleanse?

      Reply
      • sally

        December 15, 2014 at 5:17 PM

        I don’t see why cholecystectomy of appendicectomy would cause problems, the flush would affect the liver and after all that is what your trying to do; improve liver function.

        Reply
  7. Jenife

    July 11, 2014 at 3:00 PM

    Food for thought before considering doing this cleanse: https://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/flushes.html

    Reply
    • Christine

      August 18, 2014 at 4:20 PM

      Jenefe I have been doing liver cleanses for well over twenty years and EVERY time they have only improved my health and eliminated stones that were verified by ultrasound. AND I had a doctor tell me not to do it (the first time I asked about trying it) because he said I would get a stone lodged in a bile duct and I could die. If you understand the procedure and follow it, it is designed to lubricate and open the ducts to allow stones and sludge to cleanse out, allowing the body to heal. Having had a few gal bladder attacks (before I ever did the cleanse) that sent me to the ER I know that pain, yet with each and every cleanse I never had even a twinge of pain. Just needed to share that.

      Reply
    • Dana

      November 2, 2014 at 12:45 PM

      5 stars
      I appreciate your concern re: validity of all this….but you need to know that Dr. Stephen Barrett & others of the “Quackwatch” site have been found as imposters and have been delicensed: https://educate-yourself.org/cn/stevenbarrrettcourtroomdefeat20oct05.shtml

      I have done several of the liver/gall bladder flush recipes through the years with excellent results.
      Another site with great info for flush recipes is: https://www.curezone.org/cleanse/liver/

      The first one I did back in the 90’s was Dr. William D. Kelley’s (#2 on the site) and “caught” the stones in a metal colander in the toilet. The sizes were from gravel to one large cherry-sized stone….over a cup & a half of stones came out and my husband said “You just saved yourself a surgery!” So I definitely recommend doing a flush…with education first, of course.

      Be blessed!

      Reply
      • Kirsty

        December 6, 2014 at 5:18 PM

        Hi, on the curezone link you posted it says You should have at least 2 hours to slowly walk after you drink the cup with oil-juice mixture, is this what you do? In all of the other ones I have looked at say to lie down immediately. I would love to know which way has given you the best results.

        Reply
        • sally

          December 15, 2014 at 5:16 PM

          No don’t move about. You should lie down immediately after taking the oil and citrus juice standing up. The purpose of lying down is to enable the concoction to flood the gallbladder and liver ducts. If you stand up and walk about the worry would be that the concoction just floods past these ducts and after all that is not helpful to the purpose of the flush.

          Reply
      • Robin

        September 28, 2016 at 5:40 PM

        I know this sounds gross – but do u defecate in a bowl and go through it or something to get these stones?

        Reply
    • Teresa

      November 7, 2017 at 12:18 PM

      Jenife, Quackwatch is a Quack. He gets paid to discredit things that have known positive effects. Pay no attention.

      Reply
  8. Kathy Luke

    June 21, 2014 at 3:56 PM

    Hi this is very similar to the cleanse I do with great results but instead of laying on my side, the instructions are to lay on your back. Also you can purchase Epsom Salts capsules and must take 16 each instead of 3/4 cup of mixture. Minimum water is drunk. The bowel will empty itself usually before the stones begin coming out. I have a plastic strainer for bathroom purposes that I use to see the stones that flush…..wow! The stones are amazing: green, brown, tan in all sizes. My husband has passed lima bean size ones. It will help to remove bursitis in shoulders, indigestion, and many allergies.

    Reply
    • Anna

      August 16, 2014 at 8:55 AM

      Hi Kathy! I was so excited to read that you have done this with capsules!! I really struggle to get down the salt water mixture especially first thing in the morning when I wake up. Soooo not what your body wants to consume first thing lol!
      Is it effective for you? I did about 3 or 4 cleanses some years ago but then got pregnant and then was nursing and since then I just cannot bring myself around to doing one because of the thought of the salts!
      Would be so glad to try this!
      Thank you!

      Reply
    • Debra Collins

      February 16, 2016 at 1:35 PM

      Where do you find the Epsom salts capsules?

      Reply
  9. Emily P

    May 29, 2014 at 6:04 PM

    Knowing what you do now about Hashimoto’s, would you still do something like this? I have Hashi’s and am wondering if it would be okay to try. I will ask my doctor first of course.

    Reply
    • Katie - Wellness Mama

      June 3, 2014 at 11:30 PM

      I would ask a doc but if I was having potential gallbladder problems or liver symptoms I’d personally try it before resorting to stronger treatments

      Reply
      • Rhia

        March 11, 2016 at 8:59 PM

        Hi All fellow people

        I am thrilled to find such a simple detox cleanse for the Liver / Gallbladder , I am going to do this starting on monday
        Also i wanted to know if I could use the magnesium citrate drink in place of the epsom salt??
        Many Thanks

        Reply
    • Sally

      September 16, 2015 at 11:42 AM

      Yes, I have Hashi’s too, but this can only help. I would argue all humans should regularly do this flush, not only does it cleanse your liver and gallbladder but your gut too….and in turn ice these important organs are functioning better then this will have a positive impact on your whole body.

      Reply
  10. Faye

    May 26, 2014 at 3:05 PM

    Hi, do you drink water asWell as apple juice if so how much and should it be warm or cold or filtered etc? Thanks

    Reply
    • Sally

      September 16, 2015 at 11:43 AM

      This flush has a slight dehydrating effect. It is important to drink water in advance of the flush and then again after the flush to rehydrate you…….

      Reply
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