How to Lower Liver Enzymes ALT and AST – After looking at my most recent labs this morning, I feel a little stressed. They can be elevated for many reasons. It could be a medication you are taking. Some of you can probably identify with looking for signs that your liver is doing ok. In my case, it’s my transplanted liver. But no matter what, the lab results are a guide to how well our liver is doing. They can also be a guide to making positive changes.
What is the ALT and AST?
They both have to do with the liver. Put simply, ALT tells what is happening IN the liver.
Think ALT and the L is for liver only.
AST tell what is happening regarding liver function other places in the body such as tissue, muscles, organs, etc.
Think AST and the S is for Somewhere else.
When the ALT is higher, the liver itself is showing signs of inflammation or stress. Mine has been in the teens since transplant, but post COVID went into the 30s. (It was in the 40s in the month that I had COVID).
Today my ALT is 35. A few months ago, I had to increase my Cell Cept or Mycophenolate in order to get the numbers down. The post COVID trend was just hanging on. It dipped back to the 20s, and there they stayed until this most recent labs. More about immune suppressants in a later blog. The purpose of this one is to strategize lowering my ALT naturally.
So as the AST gets higher, that means the whole body is feeling the hit of a higher ALT. Since my transplant, it has also always been low until COVID. It peaked at 30 and is now 26. I’m feeling a bit defeated and also curious about how to get it back down without increasing immune suppressants. I’ll keep you updated as I research and play with the numbers.
Don’t Judge
I know there are people who have ALT and AST in the hundreds. Mine was there when I was battling end stage liver disease and cancer. Many pre and post liver transplant people have become used to the rhythm of the ups and downs of the liver enzymes. Please don’t judge me fretting about my concern for these numbers. I’m looking at trends.
When you look at the overall picture of several years and see a low number, and it goes up and stays up, that is an upward trend. I’m the type of person who totally reversed my death sentence in 2010. I was blown up with ascites and had more varices bandings than I can count. I got rid of Hepatitis C, which was the cause of my inflammation. Throughout that journey of several years, I also ate a Liver Loving Diet, and wrote a book about that.
How to Lower Liver Enzymes ALT and AST
To Lowe liver enzymes ALT and AST you have a few options. You can reduce or totally eliminate anything that is causing liver inflammation. If it’s a medication, only your doctor can advise if there are other options, and there may not be another option for you.
Green Veggies: You can eat more leafy greens, bananas, nuts and fish. A vitamin with folic acid can help if you can’t tolerate greens.
Good Fat Only: We all know that lowering the bad fats helps our liver. Avocados, nuts, olive oil are good examples of healthy fats. Oh and sunflower seeds too!
Less Sugar: I’ve been eating out more and having dessert. I’m a lover of sugar and have to be so careful. I threw away 3 cinnamon rolls and 4 bags of cookies that I bought from band kids.
Losing Weight: My BMI is fairly good, but I’ve put on a few pounds this summer due to travel.
No Alcohol: If that’s an issue, then it must be faced. The AST to ALT ratio is a real thing that doctors look at to show if you’re battling alcoholic liver disease or MetALD is the new nomenclature for that. It is proven that you can reverse those liver enzymes and liver longer. My dad is proof of that.
To Sum it All Up
If you have specific causes of elevated ALT or AST that you don’t understand, please join the conversation by adding your question or comment below.
I’m sitting her with a bowl of home made yogurt with blueberries and blackberries. I sprinkled chia seed and sunflower seeds on top. I will NOT allow anything to stop my progress in keeping my liver healthy. Won’t you join me? I’ve got a ton of persistence and I’ll loan you some. Xo Karen
