Jaundice
By jaundice we mean a change in the color of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes, which tend to take on a yellowish appearance; this phenomenon is due to the increase of bilirubin in the blood.
Bilirubin is a waste product that the body obtains from the “demolition” of heme, a constituent of hemoglobin (a protein of red blood cells that allows the transport of oxygen in the blood).
"Jaundice" should not be confused with other changes in skin pigmentation such as, for example, excess carotenoids, phenolic exposure, tanning creams, etc.
The diet is able to avoid or improve the anomalies potentially responsible for jaundice. However, each of these causes has a different "etiology, which must" be treated in a specific way. cause jaundice.
Causes of Jaundice and Nutrition
In the body, bilirubin is present in two different forms:
- Direct or conjugated (circulating in the blood and bound to "albumin)
- Indirect or unconjugated (necessary for the structuring of digestive bile juices).
Depending on the type of bilirubin causing the jaundice, it is possible to differentiate the diagnosis, the therapy and (if necessary) the diet.
Simplifying the classification as much as possible, jaundice could be divided into two types:
- Jaundice caused by the "increase in direct or conjugated bilirubin; further differentiable into:
- Hepatocellular, by lesion of liver cells and mainly caused by hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.
- Post hepatic, obstructive and cholestatic, caused by solid bodies that block the passage of bile into the gallbladder or bile ducts. The most frequent cause is stones or lithiasis, but cysts and tumors are also not rare.
- Jaundice caused by the increase in indirect or unconjugated bilirubin, which is triggered by: favism, pernicious anemia, wrong transfusion and everything that determines the destruction of erythrocytes.
Jaundice Hepatocellular and Diet
The nutritional causes of hepatocellular jaundice are those related to hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver.
NB. Cirrhosis of the liver is a consequence of hepatitis (which can be followed by carcinoma), often characterized by the "functional failure of the organ". These are particular conditions that are treated with drugs, surgery and very specific dietary regimes. also consider all possible complications (ascites, encephalopathy, portal hypertension, etc.) The diet for cirrhosis and / or carcinoma will NOT be treated in a separate article.
Hepatitis is defined as inflammation of the liver; the main causes are: viruses, drugs, alcohol and poisons.
In the case of hepatitis, the jaundice diet can be differentiated into: preventive, curative and support healing.
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