Ox Gallstones – Are Processors Making a Fortune?

Earlier this week, the Australian media reported that gallstones from beef cattle are worth as much as $20,000 a kilogram. This has led to the assumption that processors must be making a fortune at the expense of beef producers.

Natural ox gallstones are in high demand as precious Chinese herbal medicines. They are sold in their natural form or as a proprietary Chinese medicine mixed with other ingredients.

Origins

MONDAY’S story about charges being laid against an abattoir employee over the theft of gallstones has aroused considerable interest among readers. Many have reacted with the belief that processors are making a fortune from these rare, precious stones at cattle producers’ expense.

First, it’s important to realise that, unlike pearls, gallstones are actually rare. They only form in a few cattle, most commonly older ones, and even then they are usually pea-sized.

That said, they’re prized in Chinese medicine for their supposed healing properties. They’re a natural source of bilirubin, which TCM specialists believe can help with everything from sore throats and bronchitis to heart disease and hepatitis.

They are also a key ingredient in a number of Chinese proprietary medicines. These are often mixed with other ingredients like buffalo horn or deer musk.

The demand for gallstones in Chinese medicine is high, and the shortage means they’re in short supply at the consumer level. This has led to a rise in synthetic gallstones, which are made from chemicals or cultured with bacteria.

But these artificial versions still can’t match the lustre and medicinal qualities of natural gallstones. As a result, the price of gallstones has risen sharply in recent years to record highs.

Since then, the grey market has sprung up online as individuals around the world seek to trade in these precious rocks. The trade, however, can be a risky one.

That’s why VICE is highlighting the issue, and bringing you an inside look at the world of cattle gallstones. We’ve done the research and compiled an overview of their origins, pricing and use.

A number of meat workers we spoke to say they have sold their share of these stones over the years. One even says he’s earned enough to pay for a year’s worth of family holidays abroad.

We’ve found that the price of these precious stones can fluctuate significantly depending on their dryness, colour and texture. Whole, smooth, lustrous golden specimens are most desirable; dark and pitted stones have lower prices.

A reputed wholesaler we speak to puts the average price per gram at $57 USD for “average quality” products and $60 USD for higher-quality, more valuable items. This figure is based on his own experience, and what others have told him in the market.

Symptoms

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped pouch found under the liver that stores and concentrates bile, which aids in digesting fat. It also collects waste products that the liver produces, including cholesterol and bilirubin (a substance created when your body breaks down red blood cells).

The ducts that carry bile from the gallbladder to the intestine can become blocked by gallstones, causing a condition called biliary colic. This condition is rare but can be serious and cause severe pain.

Symptoms usually start with an intense, sharp pain that may be high in the abdomen and may spread to the back or to the side. The pain may be constant or come and go, and can last between 15 minutes and several hours each time the pain occurs. It is most often felt after a fatty meal.

Your doctor may recommend a X-ray or ultrasound to check your gallbladder and the bile ducts. These tests will show if the bile ducts are widened and whether or not the gallstones are blocking them.

In some cases, the ducts can become inflamed, causing a condition known as cholecystitis. This can cause severe pain and fever. If you have cholecystitis, your doctor might drain the gallbladder using an endoscope (a long tube with a camera on the end) or remove the gallbladder with surgery.

You are more likely to get gallstones if you have a family history of them, or if you are overweight. It is also common for people with certain medical conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver, to develop gallstones. Women who have multiple pregnancies or take birth control pills or estrogen after menopause are at greater risk.

Some doctors believe that your gallstones form when the cholesterol in bile gets too concentrated. This can happen when your bile contains too much bilirubin, or when your gallbladder doesn’t empty correctly.

When a stone is trapped in the duct that carries bile from the gallbladder into the intestine, it can be very painful and can cause episodes of biliary colic. These episodes don’t occur very often, and you usually recover from them without complications.

Treatment

Gallstones are formed by a combination of excess bile, calcium, and other materials. They can form in the liver, gallbladder or bile ducts. They can also develop in the intestines.

There are several types of treatment for gallstones, including medical therapy and surgery. Surgical treatment is usually used in symptomatic patients who have persistent pain or a problem with the gallbladder (e.g., a leaking gallbladder or a herniated gallbladder).

Nonsurgical treatment is also sometimes offered to patients who have other health problems. Medications such as ursodeoxycholic acid or chenodiol can help dissolve the stones. However, these medicines can cause mild diarrhea and may take 9-12 months to completely dissolve a stone in some people.

Other treatments for gallstones include extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, which uses heat to break up the stones. These treatments are available for stones less than 1 cm in size, but they do not work well if the stones are larger.

Surgical treatment is most commonly used for gallstones that are very large or causing serious complications such as inflammation of the gallbladder (acute cholecystitis). A surgeon removes the gallbladder and the gallstones through a small incision in the abdomen.

In this procedure, the surgeon inserts a laparoscope (a thin tube that has an attached camera). Special x-rays called cholangiograms show how much bile is flowing and whether the ducts are blocked.

The ducts that empty the gallbladder are then clipped shut. This is a very effective way to remove the gallbladder and the stones.

These procedures are performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia and can be performed in an outpatient clinic, hospital or surgery center. Most people can go home the day after surgery.

There are two main types of surgery: open and laparoscopic. Open surgeries are more invasive and involve a larger incision. The surgeon views the inside of the body on a TV monitor. During this operation, the doctor clips the ducts and artery that lead to the gallbladder.

This is a very common and successful procedure, but it can be expensive. In some cases, patients may need to be admitted to the hospital for a day or more. This is especially true if the operation requires large incisions or if the patient is having a gastrointestinal emergency.

Prevention

Gallstones are hardened muddy deposits that occur in the gallbladder of cattle, oxen, bison and humans as a result of bilirubin, an orange-yellow substance produced during the breakdown of red blood cells. They can block the bile duct, leading to inflammation and death if not removed.

The only way to prevent these stones from forming is to keep their bilirubin levels under control. That means eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains. It also means drinking plenty of water and not smoking, alcohol or tobacco, which all increase the amount of bilirubin in the body.

In addition, it is important to keep the gallbladder clean and free of fungus and parasites that can cause gallstones to form. If a gallbladder becomes infected, it can cause a serious disease called cholecystitis, which is characterized by painful, cramped bloating and pain in the upper abdomen.

Aside from the monetary value of these precious treasures, collectors can earn some extra cash by selling their gallstones to slaughterhouses. But if they want to make the most money possible, they have to take a few precautions.

First, they must be cleaned thoroughly to remove any traces of blood or other impurities. After that, they should be dried in a dark, well-ventilated room at a low temperature for two to three weeks. Then, they should be flipped regularly to ensure that they are dry on both sides.

After this, they should be sealed in hermetically-sealed bags. They should be stored in a cool, dry place with good ventilation to prevent the growth of mold and mildew that could render them worthless.

It is a small investment to start sourcing and preparing these valuable treasures, but it can quickly pay off with a steady income. The key is to find a good supplier and buyer.

The best way to source ox gallstones for your business is to build relationships with local abattoirs. These suppliers know that ox gallstones are in high demand and they will willingly sell them to you at prices that allow for room for your profits. Then, once you get your first payment, you can use that money to buy more ox gallstones and continue to earn a nice income.

Ox Gallstones – Are Processors Making a Fortune?