What to do when ALT is high?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Dong Xuan Ha - Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital.
To improve liver function and reduce ALT levels, patients do not need to change their diet too much. Start with simple things like eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, eating fish, drinking low-fat milk, eating whole grains, and not eating fried foods.

1. What is the ALT Index?

ALT (alanine aminotransferase) is an enzyme found in liver cells and plays a role in helping to break down proteins so that they can be easily absorbed by the body. When the liver shows signs of inflammation or damage, the amount of ALT in the blood increases, so when liver disease is suspected, doctors often use this test to diagnose the disease.

2. Some causes of liver disease

Liver disease can be caused by the following factors:
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Pain medications at retail pharmacies such as acetaminophen Prescription drugs that control cholesterol Alcohol consumption Obesity Hepatitis A, B, C Heart failure If ALT levels are high, talk to your doctor to find out the cause and treat it promptly. If your ALT is normal, here's what you can do to lower it:
Drink coffee A 2013 study found that daily coffee drinkers had lower ALT levels than those who didn't. to drink. Drinking one to four cups of coffee a day has been shown to reduce the risk of liver disease and cancer.

Eat foods that contain folate or take folic acid Eating a lot of foods with a high folate content and taking folic acid supplements has been shown to be associated with a decrease in ALT levels. So what is the difference between folate and folic acid? These two substances are two different forms of vitamin B9. Folate is commonly found in foods like asparagus, green vegetables, legumes, lemons, bananas... and folic acid is the synthetic form of vitamin B9 and is commonly found in supplements. Choose to take folic acid supplements, take enough 0.8mg per day to reduce your ALT level.
Change your diet To prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a common cause of elevated ALT levels, choose a low-fat and low-carbohydrate diet. A 2013 study found that just eating a vegetable-filled, low-fat meal once a day can lower your ALT levels.
Treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease requires a combination of many factors, in which lifestyle changes and correction of underlying diseases play an important role. Vinmec International General Hospital currently applies the ultrasound elastographic diagnostic method of liver tissue, which is the best method to assess damage in the liver parenchyma due to the following diseases: alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic liver disease , Hepatitis C, Chronic cholestatic liver disease...
With 14 years of experience in the field of Endoscopy - Gastroenterology, Doctor Dong Xuan Ha proficiently performed diagnostic gastrointestinal endoscopy techniques, emergency and therapeutic interventions. Currently, he is a gastroenterologist at the Department of General Internal Medicine, Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

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Article referenced source: healthline.com