Of course, he was perfectly justified. During his illness and long after he had recovered, he was condemned to a zero fat, boiled, colourless (no Haldi) curry without spice and bland vegetarian diet.

The twist in the tale is that even after I showed him clear and overwhelming medical evidence that indicates that such dietary restrictions are just a tradition and have no medical justification, he was hesitant to accept it. Such is the power of folklore and entrenched custom.

What is the current wisdom on diet in jaundice? General views concerning bed rest, diet and working capability in viral hepatitis have been evolving over the last 30 years. Yet, many in the medical fraternity, well educated person -think otherwise.

Why the custom?
The symptoms that characterise jaundice are nausea, listlessness, the deep yellow in the whites of eyes and skin and the fact that an important digestive organ, liver, which metabolises fats, carbohydrates and proteins, is affected, causes all these dietary myths to float around.

Anti-inflammatory substances in commonly available foods such as turmeric, works for the liver too. Yet the yellow colour of turmeric is viewed as a potentially aggravating substance for the sufferers.

The food dished out to such patients is colorless (no haldi), flavorless (no fat, no spices) and lacking in essential nutrients, fat and calories. Of course taste is as big a casualty as nutrition.

What should be eaten?
A well-balanced, hygienically prepared diet is what is required for this condition. Meals should be small but taken frequently.

Nausea is a common symptom in the early phase of viral hepatitis. During this period it is advisable to avoid strong flavors as this could precipitate nausea.

There is absolutely no taboo in eating non-vegetarian food too, provided it is cooked adequately and hygienically.

Restricted diet harmful
The restricted diet causes a delayed recovery. Even for a healthy individual, a prolonged zero-fat diet in the form of boiled vegetables and with the all time favorite radish juice is debilitating enough. Of course, it does make sense to avoid potentially harmful products for the liver, such as alcohol and hepato toxic drugs, but the rest of the restrictions are completely unjustified.

Scientific evidence in the journal Gastroenterology says extra calories are needed for recovery of health.

The liver cells need nutrients to recover from the inflammation. Poor nutrition only delays recovery and high-energy diets shorten the course of the disease (which is equally true for any other disease condition).

Prevention

• Avoid raw foods when sanitation and hygiene is suspect.
• Drink properly boiled or filtered water.
• Consume adequately cooked food as cooking destroys virus.
• Patients must wash hand thoroughly to avoid spread by contamination.
• Treatment
• Take plenty of fluids
• Stay on normal diet
• Avoid exertion
• Use supplementary vitamins if recommended by physician
• Get symptomatic treatment for nausea/pain in abdomen.