Ox Gallstones – What Are They?

Gallstones form inside a number of bovines, mainly as a result of their age and diet. Ox gallstones are used for the pharmacopeia as they have calming and anti-inflammatory properties.

These stones are extracted from cattle and then washed thoroughly to remove blood clots, impurities, and other pollutants. They are then dried for two to three weeks at a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius in a dark, well-ventilated environment.

Types of Gallstones

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that stores bile, a fluid that helps the body digest fats. When you eat, the gallbladder contracts and pushes bile into a tube-called the common bile duct-that carries it to the small intestine, where it mixes with food.

When the bile is too concentrated with cholesterol, bilirubin or bile salts, it can form gallstones. These stones can be large or tiny, and they may develop in one place or spread throughout the gallbladder.

Symptoms of gallstones include pain in the upper abdomen. The pain can be dull or sharp and last from minutes to hours. It is usually worse after a meal. Other symptoms include fever, weight loss, nausea and vomiting.

Gallstones can be a sign of an underlying health condition, such as infection or inflammation. They can also be a sign of an overactive gallbladder or blockage of the bile ducts. A health care provider can use a blood test, ultrasound, or computerized tomography (CT) scan to diagnose gallstones.

If your gallbladder is enlarged or has been infected, you might need surgery to remove the gallbladder. In some cases, doctors can remove the gallbladder with a laparoscope (a thin, flexible tube with a camera attached).

The most common type of gallstone is made of cholesterol, which is yellow in color. This stone is more common in people who have high cholesterol levels in their blood.

Cholesterol gallstones are also more common in older people and pregnant women. In addition, this type of stone is more common in obese individuals.

Pigment gallstones, dark in color, are also common. These stones are made of bilirubin, which is also called pigment.

Some factors that increase the risk of gallstones are: obesity, diabetes and clonorchiasis. A healthy diet and exercise can help prevent gallstones in your child.

The most common type of gallstones is formed when bile contains too much cholesterol or too much bilirubin. Scientists don’t understand why these imbalances occur. But it’s important to know that they can cause severe and sometimes life-threatening complications if the bile ducts are blocked.

Medicinal Value

One of the most elusive and precious cattle byproducts is the gallstone. In Chinese herbal medicine, these hard crystalline masses – dubbed the “stone of heaven” by proponents – are said to have a variety of calming and anti-inflammatory properties that can be used for hepatitis, heart and liver conditions.

Despite their rarity, bovine gallstones can fetch a hefty price in the market, with some purveyors boasting about selling pure specimens for up to EUR35,000/kg, rivalling gold bullion values. But, they’re also a hefty gram-per-kilo expense and require a rather unique harvesting process to achieve the desired quality.

The most efficient way to harvest a kilo of ox gallstones is to use a manual method – a bit tricky and time consuming, but it’s worth it for the rewards. Once collected, the stones are cleaned with cold water to remove blood clots and impurities. They’re then dried to eliminate moisture and stored in hermetically sealed bags.

Another method is to grind the stones into a powder and add it to a mixture of other ingredients. This produces a product that’s arguably more valuable as it can be combined into various forms, including pills.

In short, the ox gallstone is a high-quality, high-end product that’s worth its weight in gold. But, it’s not for everyone. Luckily, this product is available in several countries around the world, including Latvia, and can be purchased from a reputable online retailer with a discreet vacuum-sealed package. The most important step in buying a gallstone is to ensure the seller has a dependable track record and is using legitimate means of payment.

Supply and Demand

Cattle gallstones have been prized for their purported medicinal value since at least the days of Ancient China, Persia and Greece. It’s thought they’re effective for treating a range of ailments, from migraines and depression to heart disease and hepatitis.

Despite their alleged health benefits, cattle gallstones are incredibly rare. They are made up of only 75% water, and must be in pristine condition to be worth anything. They are also difficult to collect.

They are usually removed at the meatworks after slaughter. They are then washed in cold water to remove any blood clots or impurities. They are then dried in a dark and well ventilated environment for two to three weeks. The stones need to be moved regularly for proper drying and to avoid them from sticking together. After the stones are fully dried they are then packaged in hermetically sealed bags.

In some places, such as Hong Kong and China, gallstones are in high demand as a precious Chinese herbal medicine. They can be used for treating a range of illnesses and are usually sold as natural gallstones or combined with other ingredients as proprietary Chinese medicines.

The retail price of natural gall stones is as high as HK$19,000 for one tael, or a small pellet weighing three grams costs around US$195. Currently, there are Hong Kong importers looking for supplies.

When the Chinese government started to promote the use of bilirubin-based medicines, it opened up a new market for these enigmatic rocks. The resulting demand has meant that slaughterhouses around the country have cottoned on to the lucrative market: raking in a hefty sum of cash every year as they harvest ox gallstones from the animals they kill.

According to a cattle industry broker I spoke to, the price of ox gallstones has risen by as much as 30% in the past decade. He said he typically pays around $57 USD per gram for “average quality” stone and $60 for the best ones he can find.

Gerard Murtagh is the head of Sunshine Trading, a family business that positions itself as Australia’s market leader for cattle gallstones. He tells VICE that “there’s no doubt” that the Chinese government promotes interest in bilirubin-based medicines, which increases gallstone demand, and means a juicier payday for the risk-takers on the gutting table.

Synthetic/ Artificial Gallstones

When red blood cells break down, a substance called bilirubin is produced in the body. It’s a naturally occurring pigment that gives bile its orange colour, but it can cause problems if it doesn’t get flushed from the body. When a build-up occurs, gallstones form: hardened muddy deposits that block the bile duct and can cause inflammation, hepatitis or even death if not treated in time.

These days, many abattoirs will pay a small fortune for the rare stones that are found in cattle’s gallbladders. The market value of these stones is based on their purported medicinal properties: the bilirubin they contain has been used to treat a range of ailments in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

But the soaring demand for gallstones has left domestic supply at an all-time low. As a result, a variety of synthetic/ artificial gallstones have been developed to meet the demand.

The most common of these is a synthetic calcium bilirubinate salt which is prepared by acidifying ox bile. This product is used in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments including high fever, pneumonia, pyogenic tonsillitis and bronchitis.

A second type of synthetic gallstone is made from chemical ingredients, such as cholic acid and the natural compound udecarine. These products are marketed as a substitute for natural gallstones and are an ingredient in a number of proprietary Chinese medicines.

However, while these artificial gallstones are effective, they do not have the same therapeutic qualities as natural ones. This is largely due to their low concentrations of bilirubin (0.5%) and their polymerized nature.

While this is true, they do still have some pharmacological properties: the bilirubin they are made from has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antioxidant effects, as well as inotropic and cardiorespiratory activity. These properties are thought to be derived from the bilirubin’s ability to absorb oxygen, which in turn helps to prevent or cure various diseases.

Interestingly, this bilirubin is also able to kill bacteria and help protect the liver from damage. It can also aid in regulating the body’s energy levels and boosting the immune system, as well as stimulating the synthesis of lipids and proteins. These properties are believed to make ox gallstones a useful natural remedy for a range of health issues, from hyperactivity in children to heart disease and cancer.

Ox Gallstones – What Are They?