Good and bad food for jaundice
How to eat in jaundice
Feeding for jaundice involves using a number of foods that are appropriate for the functioning of the liver and gallbladder.
Foods that possess cleansing properties help the liver to perform its function, that’s to say, to filter impurities from the blood.
Equally important is to avoid or limit foods that can recharge liver function or those that may favor the formation of grit or stones in the bile ducts leading to their obstruction and the retention of bilirubin with the subsequent appearance of jaundice.
FOOD FIT FOR JAUNDICE
Antioxidant foods for jaundice
Antioxidant foods are the best in the diet for jaundice. These foods are able to cleanse the body of toxins and help the liver to perform its function.
Among the antioxidant foods we should mention the following:
Fruits and vegetables are essential in the jaundice diet
- Fruits: Fruits contain a lot of vitamin C, with antioxidants, minerals and other phytochemicals that help cleanse the body. Fruits like papayas, lemons, raspberries, kiwis, etc. are especially rich in vitamin C. Fruits such as avocados are especially rich in vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant, in addition to essential fatty acids with hepatoprotective function.
- Vegetables: Like fruits, vegetables are high in vitamin C. Potatoes, sweet potatoes and tomatoes are rich in vitamin B. Tomatoes and red peppers are known for their high content of a recognized antioxidant lycopene that can cleanse the body and prevent many diseases.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in carotenoids. The carotenoids are converted to vitamin A by the body once ingested. This is a vitamin with recognized antioxidant properties. Fruits and vegetables are also rich in other antioxidants such as flavonoids.
| Juice therapy for treatment of jaundice The use of fresh juices is a good remedy to cure jaundice. The juices exert a purifying function and facilitate the work of the liver. It is important to use both, fruit juices and vegetable juices, using mainly those considered detoxifying foods. To accomplish this therapy we use juices mixed with the same amount of water and no sugar added. (It is best to prepare juices at home with a blender than to use packaged juices. Latter ones may contain food additives or added sugars) The preferred juices are the following: – Grape juice – Pear juice – Lemon juice – Carrot juice – Cucumber juice – Mixed juice with carrot and cucumber – Mixed juice with celery, carrot and parsley |
Healthy fats for Jaundice
Obesity can favor gallbladderstones, one of the causes of jaundice
A low fat diet favor the recovery of the person affected by jaundice. Fats generally are difficult to metabolize and present a great effort to the liver. Releasing the liver of some of this work can contribute to a better functioning. Therefore, we should choose low-fat foods.
Moreover, it has been observed that obese persons are more likely to produce gallstones, one of the causes which can result in jaundice. Therefore, a low fat diet will help you lose weight which will lead a lower probability of gallstones.
When choosing the type of fat, we must choose those fats that are healthier. Among these, the best ones are the unsaturated fats. Among these, we recommend monounsaturated ones such as olive oil or those ones obtained from nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts or avocado.
Low-cholesterol foods for jaundice
Posthepatic jaundice occurs, among other reasons, because of the obstruction of the bile ducts leading bilirubin into the intestine. This blockage is mainly due to the formation of gallbladder stones in them because calcium crystals, excess of cholesterol and bilirubin dissolved in bile are deposited it the ducts.
A low- cholesterol diet helps to prevent the formation of grit or stones in the bile ducts
Drinking plenty of water for jaundice
Water is the necessary liquid for the body to dissolve toxins. An abundant and regular urination also prevents sedimentation of the crystals of certain minerals that, when grouped, form stones in the kidney and gallbladder.
We should drink between 2 and 5 liters per day, especially during very hot days or if you have bee subjected to a strong physical exercise and other circumstances such as excessive sweating or diarrhea.
A low mineralization mineral water is the most recommended in the diet for jaundice.
FOOD NOT SUITABLE FOR JAUNDICE
Foods high in fat and cholesterol
Foods with a lot of fat should be avoided in the diet for jaundice
Foods high in fat are an overwork to the liver. A liver which it is subjected to a great effort may stop functioning properly giving rise to organic disorders.
Industrial food
In the diet for jaundice we should limit food considered “industrial”, that is to say, those natural foods that have been processed by the food industry. This process involves the addition of numerous food additives as preservatives, colorants, thickeners, gelling agents, etc..
Although considered “safe”, the products added to this type of food to preserve them or improve their appearance, texture, etc., must be filtered by the liver to be eliminated from the body. Liver has to be to submitted to extra work that may cause, sooner or later, a malfunction.
Therefore, it is better to choose natural unprocessed foods, as fresh as possible and cooked as simply as you can, although it is best to eat them raw whenever possible.
Avoid toxic products
In the diet for jaundice, one should completely eliminate the use of products that can be toxic to the liver, such as alcohol or tobacco.
Partial fasting for treatment of jaundice
Partial fasting can be used as a therapeutic resource for the treatment of jaundice. By fasting we favor the work of the liver, which can focus on removing toxins that may be responsible for the appearance of jaundice.
Within this type of fasting, a lemon cure for a couple of days or any of the partial fasting diets may be appropriate.
It is advisable to consult with your physician about the advisability of such diets before starting them.
More information on jaundice.
