Is your gallbladder is disposable? Bile may be doing more for your hormones and digestive health than you realize. If you’ve been told your need to remove your gallblader, or even if you’ve ever struggled with symptoms like fat intolerance, bloating, or mysterious right-side pain after meals, this episode connects the dots between bile flow, gallstones, and what happens when estrogen, HRT, or gut imbalance enter the picture.
We’ll also talk about why bile matters, how gallstones actually form, why women in midlife are especially vulnerable, and why factors like hydration, inflammation, fat intake, and even your microbiome can change the way bile behaves. And I’ll get into what your symptoms may be trying to tell you, along with practical ways to support digestion both before and after gallbladder surgery.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Brooke Show #464 – Should You Stay on GLP-1 Meds Forever?
Dr. Brooke Show #466 – Should You Be Taking HCL? (Stomach Acid and Digestion)
Grab the Midlife Is More Than HRT guide free right here if, like me, midlife didn’t feel quite like you expected. And be sure to listen to episodes #438 and #439, which were all about the mess that midlife can be, and my 3G + 4R process to tackle it!
Stuff I Know You Will Love
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Dr Brooke Kalanick is a naturopathic and functional medicine physician specializing in thyroid issues, autoimmunity, histamine intolerance, and women's hormone issues including PCOS, perimenopause, endometriosis and infertility. She is the best selling co-author of HANGRY: Balance Your Hormones & Restore Your Joy in 5 Simple Steps. She is also the host of the Dr Brooke Show podcast. To learn more about Dr Brooke click here.