Jaundice is not a disease, but a symptom of an underlying illness, such as hepatitis C, that affects liver functions. Because the liver is not working the way it should, it is unable to remove toxic substances from the blood, which then turn the patient’s skin and eyes yellow. If patient’s liver is not seriously damaged, jaundice can be cured by following a diet rich in carbohydrates and low in protein.
Step 1
Consume nothing but juices for a week. Drink plenty of water and juices during the first few days to eliminate all the toxic substances from your blood. This is also important because you might be vomiting and loosing essential electrolytes during this time. Once your symptoms subside and you are not nauseous anymore, you can slowly start eating solid food again.
Step 2
Eat easily digestible food, such as rice and yogurt, especially right after completing the juice portion of the diet. Consume plenty of complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, fruits, potatoes and vegetables.
Step 3
Eliminate food that is high in fat or animal proteins from your diet. All fats, such as cream and butter, should be avoided for at least two weeks, and even after that, try to avoid them for three or four months. You can start consuming proteins after two weeks by eating vegetable proteins such as soy. Notice that you must not eliminate all protein from your diet. Consuming protein from vegetables and white meat is important to keep your body on track to becoming healthy again.
Step 4
Eat several small meals a day, instead of a couple of big ones, to avoid vomiting and to give your digestive system some rest.
Step 5
Avoid strong spices because they might upset your stomach or liver and make you more nauseous.
Step 6
Consume probiotics, or so-called “good bacteria,” daily. They can be found, for example, in certain yogurts, and have been shown to speed the recovery from jaundice.
Step 7
Do not drink alcohol. If your liver is seriously damaged, you should stop the consumption of alcohol altogether.
Tips and Warnings
- Drinking barley water daily might also help you recover faster. To do this, simmer the barley in water for three hours, and let it cool until it is comfortable to drink.
- People with serious liver conditions typically develop jaundice multiple times during the course of their life. If you have a seriously damaged liver, you might have to follow these guidelines for the rest of your life.
Things You'll Need
- Water
- Vegetable and fruit juice
- Probiotic yogurt
- Carbohydrate-rich food
