Why are my eyes yellow?
I have helped many people catch and reverse chronic health conditions simply by paying close attention to the color of their eyes and skin. In this post, we will be discussing yellow eyes and learning how to decode the message your God designed body is attempting to communicate to you.
Ideally the sclera of your eyes (the white part of your eyes) should be bright white. Any change from white should nudge you to get curious.
Yellow eyes can indicate various things from a functional health lens. When the whites of your eyes turn yellow, it is often a sign of jaundice. Jaundice occurs when there is a buildup of bilirubin in the body, which is a yellow pigment produced when red blood cells break down. This can happen due to liver problems, such as hepatitis or liver cirrhosis. Other possible causes of yellow eyes include gallbladder disease, alcohol abuse, certain medications, and blood disorders.
Obviously it is important to consult a healthcare professional if you notice yellowing of the eyes, as it can be a symptom of an underlying health condition and it is very helpful to look at your blood labs. However, I did want to mention some basic things we should always be asking when it comes to proper care for our God designed bodies, especially when it comes to addressing yellow eyes.
1. Am I constipated?
Moving your bowels is how your body get's rid of toxins. Constipation allows toxins to build up in your system and contribute to a congested liver.
2. Am I hydrated?
Your body needs minerals and water to flush out toxins. Proper hydration is key. To tune into your state of hydration it is helpful to pay attention to the color of your urine and your skin turgor. Ideally your urine should be light yellow (clear can be an indication you are drinking too much fluids and likely at risk of over hydrating. Dark yellow can be an indication that you are dehydrated).
3. Am I consuming enough nutrients for my liver to actually do its job?
Your liver needs certain nutrients like b vitamins and amino acids to do its job and many people are simply under eating nutrient dense food. Nutrient dense food is vital for a healthy liver. Here are some liver super stars:
Glycine (bone broth, gelatin,collagen, or powdered glycine)
Beef liver
Cod liver oil
Sulfur-containing foods: garlic, onions, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli
Artichokes
Beets
Carrots
Dandelion greens, arugula, collard greens, rainbow chard
Herbs and spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, and licorice
Foods in the onion family such as:
Chives
Garlic
Garlic powder
Garlic Scape
Green onion (scallions)
Leek Onion, red
Onion, white Onion, yellow Ramp Shallot
Wild onion
4. Am I on medications or supplements that could be harming my liver? Believe it or not, both medication and herbal supplements can be dangerous, especially today when social media is constantly convincing people they need a supplement to fix their health issues. Weight loss supplements in particular have been connected to liver issues. Examples:
Over the counter medications are a big culprit for liver issues as many people do not realize how harmful they can be to consistently use. Examples:
You can check out more by using the search engine Liver Tox here:
LiverTox® provides up-to-date, unbiased and easily accessed information on the diagnosis, cause, frequency, clinical patterns and management of liver injury attributable to prescription and nonprescription medications and selected herbal and dietary supplements. The LiverTox site is meant as a resource for both physicians and patients as well as for clinical academicians and researchers who specialize in idiosyncratic drug induced hepatotoxicity.
Information on a specific medication or supplement can be found by entering its name in the “Search this book” box shown above or by browsing the list of agents by its first letter using the alphabetic list shown on the website.
5. Am I dealing with chronic stress? Our liver has to detox stress hormones so allowing yourself to live in a chronic state of stress impacts your liver health and should always be considered. I have an entire 12 week course on this you can check out here:
If your eyes are yellow, I would highly recommend seeing a practitioner asap and requesting these labs:
Liver enzymes such as ALT, AST, and GGT, Albumin, Total protein. ALP,+ Bilirubin. These are to be read with the rest of your labs, with your symptoms and history in mind.
I personally recommend requesting and partnering with a Functional Provider who can read these for you, due to the fact that Functional testing looks for optimal, not just "disease or no disease."
HbA1c will help to assess to what extent poor blood sugar control might be contributing to liver burden.
Tuning into your body and listening to the messages it is sending can be life saving! I hope this inspires you to get curious.
