Diet and Food Guidance for Jaundice

Diet supports the liver while it recovers but does not cure jaundice. Follow any specific diet your doctor gives.

What helps

• Small, frequent, light meals if you feel sick
• Plain home-cooked food such as rice, dal, khichdi, chapati, cooked vegetables and fruit
• Enough protein, such as dal, eggs, curd or milk, unless the doctor restricts it in advanced liver disease
• Plenty of clean fluids, such as boiled water, coconut water and oral rehydration solution
• Clean, well-cooked food and safe drinking water, which prevent hepatitis A and E

What to avoid

• Alcohol, completely
• Very oily, fried and heavy food while nauseous
• Street food, uncooked food and unsafe water
• Herbal supplements, tonics and traditional powders unless your doctor agrees
• Raw shellfish
• Strict fasting or extreme diets

Common myths

There is no need to avoid all turmeric in food, but turmeric supplements and herbal liver tonics have caused liver injury in some people. There is no proof that sugarcane juice or other single foods cure jaundice, and unhygienic juice can add infection risk.

Special situations