Ox Gallstones Lebanon – What Are They Worth?

Gallstones are a form of biliary calculi formed by a build-up of bilirubin, an orange-yellow substance produced during the natural breakdown of red blood cells.

Typically found in cows and oxen, they’re a precious Chinese herbal medicine that can be sold at the retail level either as natural gallstones or mixed with other ingredients to create propriety Chinese medicines. But domestic supply is barely one metric ton each year.

Origin

MONDAY’s report about an employee at a southeast Queensland abattoir being charged over the theft of gallstones has stirred considerable interest among readers, many of whom are wondering exactly what these precious stones are worth. The answer, of course, isn’t that simple.

As it turns out, gallstones aren’t really worth that much. Despite their high price tag, they’re a byproduct of the cattle industry that doesn’t have much monetary value in and of itself.

A recent survey by the Department of Primary Industries found that the Australian cattle industry produces only 200kg of gallstones each year, making it the smallest producer in the world.

That said, they do have a market in some parts of the world where they’re in demand. Those markets include China, Korea and Japan.

In fact, in Japan, they’re even used to manufacture a type of toothpaste.

The market for gallstones is a global one, but it’s particularly strong in the Middle East and Asia. As an example, a small pellet of ox gallstones can fetch as much as US$65 per gram in some countries.

They’re also popular as a Chinese herbal medicine, which makes them a valuable commodity for the exporting trade. They can be sold in their natural form without any processing, or as a proprietary Chinese medicine with other ingredients.

A lot of this trade is done through the internet, so it’s important to be careful when negotiating a deal with an online seller. This is especially true if you’re dealing with someone who is not well-known and is based in another country.

For the most part, gallstones aren’t something you’d want to keep around for long: they can clog up your bile ducts and cause a variety of health problems. That’s why they’re a highly prized commodity in some parts of the world, where they can be used to make bilirubin-based medicines like bile salts.

Hence, it’s no surprise that gallstones have made their way into the food chain. Not only do they serve a useful medicinal function, but they also add to the overall aesthetic appeal of meat. And that’s why they’re often sought out by restaurants and other consumers.

Medicinal value

Ox gallstones Lebanon are a type of medicinal material that has been in use for thousands of years. They are extracted from oxen and cows and can be a valuable resource for farmers and livestock producers.

Gallstones can be used to treat a variety of ailments. For example, they are used for liver-related problems, hepatitis, and gall bladder diseases. In addition, ox gallstones are also known for their sedative and anti-inflammatory properties.

They are a valuable commodity because they can be sold for a large sum of money. However, they are important to preserve properly in order for them to be worth their full value.

One way of preserving ox gallstones is to dry them out and put them in a bottle. This method is the best way to keep them safe and preserve them for the long haul.

Another way to preserve ox gallstones is by using a vacuum cleaner or some other device that can extract the moisture from them. This will ensure that the gallstones are preserved and will be able to sell for their full value.

Regardless of how they are preserved, ox gallstones are a valuable ingredient in a variety of different herbal medicines. This is because they have a number of different medicinal benefits, including a high antioxidant capacity, which can help to protect the body from diseases like heart disease and hepatitis.

These medicinal values have made ox gallstones very popular in Chinese medicine. In fact, they have been a staple in many traditional Chinese herbal remedies for centuries.

It is believed that ox gallstones contain calcium bilirubinate, which can have a wide range of antipyretic, anticonvulsive and antibacterial effects. They can also stimulate the activity of NADPH oxidase in the liver cells, which can help to fight off diseases by stimulating the production of reactive oxygen molecules that are needed to ward off bacterial attacks.

In China, ox gallstones are an essential ingredient in a variety of proprietary Chinese medicines. They are mainly used to treat hepatitis and gallbladder-related diseases, but they can also be used to relieve stress and anxiety.

Supply

As the name suggests, ox gallstones Lebanon are in high demand as a precious Chinese herbal medicine. They are either sold in their natural state without any processing, or combined with other ingredients as a proprietary Chinese medicine.

Although ox gallstones have been around since at least ancient Chinese times, their use in modern day Chinese medicine has become increasingly widespread due to the availability of gall bladders from cattle slaughtered using high tech methods that don’t involve the traditional slitting of the animal’s throat to extract the gallbladder contents, as well as access to veterinary expertise and modern technologies such as ultrasound and MRI.

Typically, gallstones are retrieved at the abattoir during the bile extraction process on an eviscera table. After being rinsed with cold water, they are dried in a dark room for two to three weeks at a temperature of about 20degC.

The value of gallstones varies significantly, from a few dollars for small quantities to upwards of US$19,000 for a tael (i.e., three grams). Some suppliers even offer bespoke packaging and labelling.

However, while gallstones have a plethora of uses in the food industry, their real value lies in Asian alternative medicines. For example, they are the main ingredient in Formula Angong Niu Huang Wan, a patented and highly effective herbal medicine used in China for over 2000 years. Other medicinal properties include an antimicrobial effect, increased energy levels and improved liver function. They have also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as an enhanced immune system. It’s also said that gallstones can have a calming effect on the brain and increase memory.

Demand

The demand for ox gallstones Lebanon is huge as they are used as an ingredient in Chinese herbal medicine. The retail price for one tael of natural gallstones is as high as HK$19,000, making them an attractive commodity to exporters and importers in the Chinese market.

The price of ox gallstones Lebanon has been steadily rising in recent years, with many consumers paying a premium for these products in Asian stores and online. This has triggered a surge in the trade of these precious stones from Australia and Europe to China, where their popularity as a medicinal alternative is expected to continue growing.

Gallstones are a common cattle byproduct, and they can be found in older slaughter animals – cows and bulls. However, they are not present in younger slaughter animals – yearling type cattle, like Nolans at Gympie.

They are retrieved from the bile ducts during the eviscera table process and can be in a variety of shapes and sizes. Whole, smooth, golden and lustrous specimens are the most sought after and are worth the highest prices. Dark and pitted stones are less desirable.

There is a wide range of factors that determine the value of gallstones, including dryness, size, shape and colour. Stones that are a full, golden or lustrous colour with no imperfections or lumps of calcite, and pyramid-shaped, are highly valued.

During the past 15 years, many of Australia’s largest abattoirs have jumped on the gallstone white market bandwagon, and their profits have grown accordingly. These plants use a head-to-tail business model that turns almost every animal byproduct into a profit, and that includes gallstones: an animal byproduct which was previously little more than a scrap of paper on the gutting table.

Sunshine Trading, a company that deals with more than 50 abattoirs across the country, estimates that they haul in an estimated $11.5 million USD of gallstones each year. Its chief executive, Gerard O’Reilly, has a background in the family meat business and says he launched Sunshine Trading to rake in these profit-generating byproducts for slaughterhouses.

Although the majority of these products originate in Europe, they can also be obtained from ex-Soviet states and regions spanning across south to central America and Africa. In addition, they are available at times from U.S. beef processing plants and from a number of countries in Asia.

Ox Gallstones Lebanon – What Are They Worth?