Acid reflux occurs when stomach contents leak out into the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach. Common symptoms include heartburn, an unpleasant taste in the mouth and difficulty swallowing. Less commonly, throat pain, nausea, coughing and increased salivation may also be observed, and frequent reflux is associated with an increased risk of tooth decay due to acid erosion. Most people will experience occasional episodes of symptomatic acid reflux, and it is usually no cause for concern.

The liver plays an important role in the digestion and processing of proteins, fat and sugar. The liver helps create some of the building blocks of proteins needed for the body known as amino acids. The liver plays an important role in fat digestion as well as the production of fats needed for the function of different organs of the body. Simple sugars are created in the liver by breaking down both proteins as well as more complex sugars known as glycogen. The liver can also convert simple sugar into glycogen which is better for storage. In this way the liver acts as an energy center for the body. It controls the balance of simple and complex sugar storage and releases sugar stores when needed for energy.

One of the functions of the gallbladder is to concentrate the bile produced by the liver. Mainly by removing water, the bile is reduced from a fifth to a tenth of its original volume until reaching the maximum capacity of the gallbladder at about 50 milliliters. This concentration is a kind of balancing act. If the gallbladder doesn’t concentrate the bile, then there may not be enough active ingredients to break down a heavy load of fat, resulting in digestive problems. If the gallbladder performs too much concentration, the lack of water may stimulate the formation of gallstones around impurities in the high saturation of cholesterol.