What is the color of bile

Bile is a substance secreted by the human liver and is necessary to ensure normal physiological functions of the human body. Under normal circumstances, the amount of bile secreted by the human body every day is basically constant. However, if there is a problem with people's liver or stomach, the body will secrete a large amount of bile, which is why many gastritis patients will experience bile reflux. So, what color is bile?

A bitter, yellow-green liquid secreted by the liver. Part of it enters the gallbladder first, and the other part is directly discharged into the intestinal cavity. After being concentrated and stored, it is entered into the intestinal cavity when eating. It plays an important role in fat absorption and digestion. One of the human body's fine substances, the essence stored in the gallbladder is formed by the excess qi of the liver. It can be excreted downward and injected into the intestines, helping the digestion of food. It is an important condition for the normal digestion and absorption function of the spleen and stomach.

A yellow, green, or brown alkaline fluid secreted by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. When food enters, the duodenum secretes hormones, causing the gallbladder to contract, causing bile to flow through the bile duct into the intestine. Bile is composed of bile salts (from digesting fats) and bilirubin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin.

A thick, bitter colored fluid secreted by liver cells, ranging in color from golden yellow to dark green, depending on the type and concentration of bile pigments it contains. Hepatic bile is slightly alkaline, while bile in the gallbladder becomes concentrated and slightly acidic due to the absorption of water and bicarbonate. The amount of bile produced is related to protein intake, and adults secrete about 1 liter per day. The main components of bile, in addition to water, are bile salts, cholesterol, bile pigments, heparin and various inorganic salts. Bile does not contain digestive enzymes; its digestive function mainly depends on bile salts. Bile salt molecules have one end that is hydrophilic and the other end that is lipophilic, which can disperse large chunks of fat into many small fat particles. This is called emulsification. Bile salts can also activate pancreatic lipase. It can also combine with fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins to form water-soluble complexes to promote the absorption of these substances. The bile pigments in bile are the products of hemoglobin decomposition, including bilirubin and its oxide, biliverdin.

effect

Bile works mainly through bile salts and bile acids. Bile salts, cholesterol and lecithin can all be used as emulsifiers to emulsify fats, thereby reducing the surface tension of fats and making them dispersed in aqueous solution as droplets, thereby increasing the action area of ​​pancreatic lipase. Bile acids can combine with fatty acids to form water-soluble complexes to promote the absorption of fatty acids. In addition, bile is also important in promoting the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K). Bile can neutralize part of the gastric acid in the duodenum, and it is also a humoral factor that promotes the secretion of bile itself.