"ELEVATED LIVER ENZYMES
What are elevated liver enzymes?
Liver enzymes are proteins made by the liver that are measured in the blood, with a blood draw. Liver enzymes tell us how well your liver is functioning.
Your liver is an organ in your body that helps to:
Process drugs and toxins
Eliminate waste products and fats from your body
Store and regulate blood sugar levels
There are many different enzymes in the body that have different tasks. Your doctor or healthcare provider may order a liver (hepatic) function panel, to see if there is damage to any one area of your liver. These are the proteins (or enzymes) that are measured:
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP, AP, or Alk Phos)
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), formerly known as serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), formerly known as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT)
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
Liver Enzymes (normal values)*
Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) 20-120 U/L
ALT 5-50 U/L
AST 7-40 U/L
Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH, LD) 100-220 U/L
*normal values may vary from laboratory to laboratory
Other tests of liver function include:
Bilirubin level - indicates bile production and metabolism. Normal bilirubin levels are 0.2 to 1.2 mg/dL of blood. If chemotherapy has caused liver damage or dysfunction, you may notice a yellowing of the skin, called jaundice or icterus, when the bilirubin level reaches 3.0 mg/dL.
Bleeding times - such as Prothombin time (PT) - may be prolonged if there is liver damage. This means it may take longer for your blood to form a blood clot, or for you to stop bleeding if you are injured.
Each of these enzymes or proteins, if elevated, will tell your doctor if there is a problem with a certain area of your liver. It will also suggest if there is a problem elsewhere in the blood.
Your liver enzymes may be elevated if:
You have an infection, blockage or damage to your liver.
There may be a blockage to the liver, gall bladder or the common bile duct, such as gallstones, tumor, or infection.
Certain drugs or medications may have damaged your liver. These may include alcohol, Tylenol®, certain types of chemotherapy, and medications to treat high blood cholesterol levels, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor®), or simvastatin (Zocor®). Sometimes liver enzyme elevations may be temporary.
Your liver enzymes may be elevated, even if there is no damage to the liver at all. For example, ALP is made by the bones and the liver. Your blood ALP levels may be elevated due to damaged the bones, not a damaged liver.
ALT, AST levels may be elevated if there is damage to the heart."
Above taken from chemocare
"When a high dietary protein intake is consumed, there is an increase in urea excretion, which suggests that amino acid oxidation is increased.[15] High levels of protein intake increase the activity of branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase.[15] As a result, oxidation is facilitated, and the amino group of the amino acid is excreted to the liver.[15] This process suggests that excess protein consumption results in protein oxidation and that the protein is excreted.[15] The body is unable to store excess protein.[15][20] Protein is digested into amino acids, which enter the bloodstream. Excess amino acids are converted to other usable molecules by the liver in a process called deamination. Deamination converts nitrogen from the amino acid into ammonia, which is converted by the liver into urea in the urea cycle. Excretion of urea is performed by the kidneys. These organs can normally cope with any extra workload, but, if a kidney disease occurs, a decrease in protein will often be prescribed.[21] Furthermore, as noted, protein provides the body with 4 calories per gram, and when there is excess protein intake, the body will utilize as much of it for energy as possible.[2] After that stage, the body will produce fat from the excess protein, turning it into fat cells.[2] On the other hand, if people do not eat enough calories, body protein and protein from the food will be utilized for energy.[2] This is not ideal as the main function of protein is to maintain Muscle Mass.[2] Finally, when food protein intake is periodically high or low, the body tries to keep protein levels at an equilibrium by using the "labile protein reserve", which serves as a short-term protein store to be used for emergencies or daily variations in protein intake.[3] However, that reserve is not utilized as longer-term storage for future needs.[3]
Many researchers have also found that excessive intake of protein increases calcium excretion in urine.[3] It has been thought that this occurs to maintain the pH imbalance from the oxidation of sulfur amino acids.[3] Also, it is inconclusive whether bone resorption contributes to bone loss and osteoporosis.[3] However, it is also found that a regular intake of calcium would be able to stabilize this loss.[3]
Another issue arising from overconsumption of protein is a higher risk of kidney stone formation from calcium in the renal circulatory system.[3] It has been found that high animal protein intake in healthy individuals increases the probability of forming kidney stones by 250 percent.[3]"
Above taken from Wikepedia.
My drs told me the do not think there was any permanent damage done to my liver however I need to lower my protein n bcaa intake. As well as my omega 3 intake. I was on 6-8 grams a day and I needed to cut that in half. This was all on top of my high protein intake of chicken, steak, eggs and fish. If anyone can elaborate on the above quotations please do... Hopefully what I have said will help someone.
