Can a Bad Gallbladder Cause Excess Anxiety & Stress?

August 10, 2020 Matthew Jacobs

You may not realize it but your mental health is strongly linked to your physical health. But can the gallbladder cause anxiety? Actually yes, your gallbladder is part of the digestive system and poor digestive health can lead to disorders such as excess stress and anxiety. Being anxious every now and then is a normal part of the human experience but there is a point when it goes too far.

There are several key ingredients you can include in your diet to help improve your anxiety and stress levels. Some of them include Chinese licorice root, chicory root, gynostemma, and magnesium.

Gallbladder Issues are Linked to Anxiety

Gallbladder issues are linked to anxiety

The gallbladder can cause anxiety and other similar issues. For instance, gut health does affect your mental health and a poorly functioning digestive system can cause anxiety and stress.

On the other hand, gallbladder dysfunction has also been linked to other physical ailments which are then linked to anxiety. One very large study looked at 20,427 patients with Gallbladder Stone Disease (GSD) and 81,706 controls who did not have GSD. [1]

The researchers looked at links between GSD and migraines, which are also associated with anxiety, as well as links between GSD and anxiety directly.

The GSD cohort had a 1.69-fold higher incidence of migraines than the non-GSD cohort, meaning that GSD likely contributes to the development of migraines.

The GSD cohort had a higher number of comorbidity incidents than the non-GSD cohort did. Comorbid conditions included diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), depression, and anxiety.

Chinese Licorice Root Can Reduce Fatigue

Chinese Licorice Root

Fatigue is a symptom associated with many disorders including chronic stress and anxiety. Chinese licorice root can help alleviate this symptom of anxiety. One study looked at the effect of glabridin, which comes from Chinese licorice root, on fatigue in mice.

Mice were divided into four groups; control, low dose (LG; 5 mg/kg of body weight), medium dose (MG; 10 mg/kg of body weight), and high dose (HG; 20 mg/kg of body weight). Doses were given for 28 consecutive days. [2]

Swimming endurance was increased in all three groups; 22.58% higher in the LG, 43.55% higher in the MG, and 50.04% higher in the HG.

Blood lactic acid (BLA), an indicator of fatigue, was reduced in all three experimental groups. This postpones fatigue and accelerates recovery from it.

Treatment groups also experienced higher levels of glycogen, an important energy resource.

Chicory Root Has Many Positive Effects on the Body

Chicory Root

Chicory root is a woody plant found in the dandelion family. It has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.

One report from the Journal of Medicinal Plant Studies gives an overview of information aggregated from various research studies. [3]

Chicory root has a few benefits worth noting here.

The researcher reports that chicory root produces more inulin than many other plants. This helps to lower the body’s acidity levels and aid digestion. Chicory root also improves the flow of bile, which is produced by the gallbladder.

The researcher also states that chicory root acts as a sedative and anti-inflammatory agent for the body’s nervous system. On a strictly psychological level, sedatives help to reduce anxiety by allowing the patient to feel calmer.
Anti-inflammatory agents used on the nervous system can reduce swelling in a variety of areas causing both physical and mental health issues. This is able to reduce anxiety as well as physical conditions that may also be contributing to anxiety.

Gynostemma Can Reduce Anxiety and Chronic Stress

Gynostemma

Gynostemma is an herb located throughout South and East Asia. It has been used in treatment for various physical ailments. Its leaves have also been previously been studied and found to have anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties when tested in mice.

A newer study looked at the effect of gynostemma in 72 adults with chronic psychological stress. [4]

The treatment group (N=36) received gynostemma extract (200 mg 2x/day) for 8 weeks) while the control group (N=36) received placebos.

Treatment group scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory decreased by 16.8% compared to the placebo group. The total decrease was 17.8%.

The researchers explained that this made participants less anxiety-prone and increased feelings of calmness, confidence, and security. They also noted that there were no negative effects experienced in other areas of life.

Magnesium Helps Alleviate Chronic Depression

magnesium Chloride Flakes

Depression and anxiety are closely associated with mental health disorders. Magnesium is a mineral essential to the human body but one that some individuals have a deficiency of. One case study followed four individuals of varying ages and life circumstances but all of whom suffered from chronic depression.

This study also included both men and women. Their bouts of chronic depression had a variety of causes as well. They were given varying doses of magnesium (based on physical health and characteristics) to be taken with each meal and at bedtime. [5]

Each of the participants experienced benefits from the magnesium supplement with no other major diet or medication changes present. All of these benefits were noticeable within a few days.

Some of the benefits included a reduction in depression, anxiety, headaches, and addiction cravings, improvement in short term memory and IQ score, prevention of postpartum depression, and more.

Conclusion

The relationship between your gallbladder and anxiety is a complex one. Since the gallbladder can cause anxiety and other mental health ailments, it is something you should be ensuring is healthy.

By taking care of your gallbladder, you can take care of your immune system and your mental health. There are several key ingredients that you can include in your diet to improve gallbladder health and reduce anxiety.