Vitamin B6 and magnesium, deficiency causes Jaundice

What are the important precautions taken in Jaundice?
(October 26, 2010)

Precautions During Jaundice

Despite the fact that jaundice is very commonly regarded as being a condition on its, own, it is actually a common symptom of a number of conditions that affect the liver. The condition causes the affected individual to develop a significant amount of yellow staining of the skin and the whites of the eyes which is primarily the result of high levels of bilirubin in the blood. The intensity of the yellow coloration will depend substantially on the amount of bilirubin present in the bloodstream. Jaundice stems from a malfunction affecting the liver. As a result, almost any condition that seriously affects the liver is likely to cause jaundice.

Some of the more common medical conditions that lead to the development of jaundice include malaria, sickle cell crisis, thalassemia and autoimmune disorders.


Some of the more common symptoms of jaundice include a yellow coloration of the skin, tongue, whites of the eyes and urine; a loss of appetite as well as the development of a fever, headache and fatigue. Understanding the various jaundice causes and symptoms is a very important part of being able to diagnose the condition. Because of the fact that there are so many different jaundice causes, there are also a number of different jaundice guidelines that you might want to look up on when you have identified the type of jaundice you are affected by.

Understanding and following the various jaundice precautions and jaundice guidelines is the most effective method of ensuring fast recovery. Following a jaundice diet will help reduce the amount of stress that the already unwell liver is under at this point in time. One of the more effective jaundice guideline diets is to eat a single juicy fruit such as an apple, papaya, grapes or a mango in the morning. Follow this up with a single slice of whole wheat bread. Having another orange juice in between your breakfast and lunch is likely to help substantially as well. For lunch, you should have a couple of slices of whole wheat bread followed by a cup of strained vegetable soup and then a steamed leafy vegetable with a glass of buttermilk to help with the digestion. An afternoon snack can consist of coconut water or juice before moving onto dinner that should comprise of whole wheat bread, steamed vegetables, a baked potato as well as a glass of hot milk with some honey.

One of the more important jaundice guidelines is to ensure that you do not consume any foods that contain oils, butter or cream as they should be avoided for at least 2 weeks to prevent excessive stress on the liver. When suffering from jaundice, it is extremely important that you drink a lot of water. Adding a small amount of lemon juice to the concoction will help strengthen the liver substantially. Cold friction is another very useful option and can be performed twice a day while a hot immersion bath for about 10 minutes will help substantially.

The medical name for jaundice is as icterus - the word jaundice is derived from the French word jaune which means yellow, and jaundice typically causes yellowish discoloration of the skin, the whites of the eyes, and the mucous membranes.. Jaundice by itself is not a disease but the symptom of an underlying pathological disturbance of the normal process of metabolism of bilirubin. Bilirubin is produced by red blood cells (after they are destroyed) and jaundice occurs when an excess amount of bilirubin is being produced in the blood and the liver cannot remove it, or there is a defect in the liver which stops the removal of bilirubin from the blood. Jaundice can also occur when there is a block in the bile ducts resulting in a reduced flow of bilirubin and bile from the liver into the intestines. This blockage is generally caused due to gallstones or inflammation of the ducts.

There are a number of precautionary measures that you can take against jaundice, which are described in brief below - but a complete detoxification of the liver and gall bladder is needed to cure the jaundice completely. A deficiency in vitamin E has been identified as a contributing factor to an attack of jaundice. The vitamin is helpful in strengthening mature blood cells, thus allowing them to last longer and reducing the chances of over production of bilirubin. Therefore consuming foods that contain vitamin E, such as nuts and leafy vegetables, will be helpful. Huge doses of vitamin C and choline can also be used to treat jaundice as both vitamin C and choline help the liver to detoxify. Choline also helps in the production of lecithin which breaks down fats and oils inside the body.

Another preventive measure that can be taken is increasing the intake of calcium, vitamin B6 and magnesium, as a deficiency in these three nutrients is known to cause nervous disorders that lead to spasmic movements in the bile duct and thus a rise in the jaundice and its symptoms. You can also strengthen your liver by including beet leaves in your diet. Drink a juice of the beet leaves twice a day (mix the leaves and the root in a cup of boiling water.). Liver function can also be helped by using herbs like St. John's wort, nettle and boldo plant. It is important that you get adequate bed rest, eat a diet free from oily and spicy food and avoid eating food prepared in unhygienic conditions.