Bile is a heavy, greenish yellow, bitter liquid which is secreted by the liver. One or two pints of bile are produced each day. It is secreted continuously. A variable portion of it is stored in a small sac called the gall bladder. Bile is one of the three fluids that digests food as they travel through the small intestine. The other two are the pancreatic juice and the secretions which are given off by the glands in the small intestine. During digestion, bile flows through a tube called the Bile Duct into the first part of the small intestine. Bile helps keep the intestine alkaline. It breaks up fats and aids in their digestion, and stimulates the liver. The salts that are formed in the bile are particularly useful in digesting fats. If the bile duct is inflamed, or if there are stones in it, bile cannot flow into the intestine. Instead, it is absorbed into the bloodstream, causing Jaundice. Lack of bile causes a lack of Vitamin K, which helps blood to clot in the body.
