Jaundice is an illness characterized by yellowing of the skin, white part of the eyes. In general, the newborn babies get affected with the Jaundice problem. But sometimes an adult might also get affected by this. Let’s get to know the causes of Jaundice and Jaundice diet to follow while suffering from Jaundice.
One of the significant causes behind the Jaundice is the increased bilirubin levels in the bloodstream. Bilirubin is yellow in color and is released during the process of breakdown of red blood cells.
Causes of Jaundice
Some of the possible causes for jaundice are:
An infected Liver
When the liver is infected by any viral infections like hepatitis, the liver gets damaged which leads to jaundice. Some drugs may also cause the liver damage and lead to the condition. Prolonged usage of medicines like some steroids, penicillin, birth control pills and acetaminophen might cause the liver damage. Be cautious while using such medicine. Use these medicines with a proper supervision from your doctor to avoid any such problem.
If Bile ducts get blocked
Bile ducts are the very narrow tubes that carry bile juices from liver and the gallbladder into the intestine. There is a chance these tubes get blocked by gallstones or any rare liver problems. This could also lead to jaundice in some cases.
Alcohol
Alcohol might also induce severe liver damage or disease if one has the habit of consuming high doses of alcohol for a prolonged duration like consumption of alcohol for several years might result in liver damage. In such cases also the damaged liver causes the jaundice problem.
Damaged Pancreas
In some patients suffering from pancreatic cancer, it might block the bile ducts and as a result, it causes jaundice.
How to diagnosed jaundice?
Normally, visible symptoms are like yellowing of eyes and skin. Further to confirm, your doctor may suggest some diagnostic tests like CBC (Complete Blood Count) test, some other tests to measure the amount of bilirubin in the blood, and some diagnostic test related to liver function.
Importance of diet in jaundice prevention and cure
What we eat has an impact on the liver health. Liver in our body has many important roles to play. The major role the liver plays in the digestive system is absorbing the nutrients from the intestine and synthesizes the different chemicals that are needed by the body for various functions. In this process, the liver also filters if there are any harmful chemicals are present in the digested food. So if we consume a healthy food, the liver would be healthy enough to work properly.
So what could be the Jaundice diet?
Your doctor would decide on the diet plan that you must follow for a quick recovery from jaundice. Mentioned here is most common and helpful jaundice diet or foods to consume in general.
A healthy diet for jaundice recovery would generally include:
- Fresh veggies and fruits
- Water
- Herbal tea
- Whole grains, nuts, and pulses
- Certain types of fish protein which contains omega-3 fatty acids
Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy and easy on the liver. They are rich in antioxidants and high fiber content of the fresh vegetables and fruits helps in easy digestion, thereby reducing the load on the liver.
Some of the good helpful veggies and fruits for jaundice diet include:
- Grapes
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Lemon and most of the citrus fruits
- Grapefruit
- Melon type Fruits
- Papaya
- Pumpkin
- Olives
- Avocado – (Read about Health Benefits of Avocado)
- Carrot
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Spinach
Water consumption during jaundice
Water plays a major role in general health. It eases the digestive process, helps the liver and kidneys to flush the toxins out. Consuming a good amount of water and to stay hydrated is a good practice to recover from any illness. Similarly, water consumption helps in quicker recovery from jaundice.
Herbal tea
Herbal teas and moderate coffee (without milk) would help to recover from excess toxins in the body as the herbal teas and coffee contain a good amount of antioxidants. Caffeine also stimulates the digestion process when consumed in moderate quantities.
Protein-rich foods like Grains, Nuts, and Pulses
Protein diet is good for overall health. But while suffering from jaundice it is important to be cautious in eating lean protein such as fish and in the vegetarian food selecting foods like beans or pulses. Take an advice from your doctor on proper protein diet that suits your condition based on the cause of jaundice.
Fluids intake during jaundice
It is very important to consume plenty of fluids like juices and water for the normal and healthy functioning of our body parts. Similarly, while suffering from jaundice also it is advised to take a good amount of fluids. Normal healthy measurement of intake of water is at least 8 glasses.
Food items to be avoided during jaundice
There are few types of diet that must be avoided while suffering from jaundice. The list is as:
- Alcohol
- Refined foods or beverages
- Packed foods
- Smoked foods
- Canned foods
- Saturated or Trans fats rich foods
- Red meats
These foods impact liver function either directly or passively by interrupting the healthy functioning of the digestive system. So it is better if you avoid these foods while suffering from jaundice.
Benefits of following the jaundice diet
Following the jaundice diet would help to heal the root cause of jaundice. Consult your doctor for proper guidance on diet plan that suits you. Diet details mentioned in this article are for informative purpose only and that is suitable under ideal conditions.
If for some reason an experienced doctor is not available around you, then you can contact us here.
Dr. Kaleem Mohammed graduated as a Bachelor of Physiotherapy in 2014 from Deccan College of Physiotherapy, affiliated to Dr. N.T.R. University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, India. Dr. Kaleem is an expert at handling physiotherapy needs of patients suffering from orthopedic and spinal conditions and post-surgery rehabilitation. Dr. Kaleem is associated with HealthClues since its inception where he facilitates diagnosis and advanced consultation with senior doctors. He is also a medical researcher and prolific writer who loves sharing insightful commentaries and useful tips to educate the patient community about fitness, treatment options, and post-treatment recovery.
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