Theory

Bile as the Central Hub

Everything connects through bile. Fix this, and watch what else improves.

The Underappreciated System

Your liver produces about one liter of bile daily. It flows to your gallbladder for storage, then releases into your small intestine when you eat fat. Most people never think about it.

But bile isn't just for digesting fat. It's a central hub connecting at least seven major body systems. When bile flow is impaired, everything downstream suffers.

Seven Systems That Depend on Bile

Fat-soluble vitamin absorption

A, D, E, K all require bile for absorption

Sulfur processing

Bile acids are conjugated with sulfur compounds

Glutathione pathway

Major detox pathway that recycles through bile

Copper balance

Bile is the primary route for copper excretion

Thyroid function

T4 to T3 conversion partially happens via bile acids

Gut bacteria

Bile acids regulate microbiome composition

Hormone clearance

Estrogen and other hormones exit through bile

When Bile Flow Fails

Poor bile flow doesn't announce itself. It creates cascading deficiencies that look like unrelated problems:

Fat-soluble vitamin deficiency despite supplementation
Hormone imbalances as estrogen recirculates
Copper accumulation in liver and brain
Sluggish thyroid that doesn't respond to medication
Gut dysbiosis that keeps returning
Chronic toxin accumulation

You can supplement endlessly. But if bile isn't flowing, the supplements can't absorb and the toxins can't leave.

The Hidden Epidemic

~30%

of "functional diarrhea" cases are actually undiagnosed bile acid malabsorption

50%+

of IBS-D patients improve dramatically when bile issues are addressed

The Theory

Bile is the hidden linchpin of health. When you can't figure out why someone isn't getting better despite "doing everything right," look at bile flow.

Support bile production, improve bile flow, optimize bile acid recycling. Watch how many "unrelated" problems start to resolve.