Liver enzyme and low-carb dieting

[kamzamani]

I have been on a high protein and high fiber diet for 5 months with some few weeks of breaks in between. In other words, no sugar and no starch in my diet and even during the breaks I still did not take sugar. Kind of similar to Southbeach's three phases. I already lost over 30lbs and am happy with my health and weight but I am still trying to lose another 10lbs.

I went for my annual checkup a few days ago. The morning before going to the clinic, I did the ketone test and I was deeply in the zone (read 80mg/dl). So when I went to the clinic, I told the nurses that they'd find a lot of ketones in my blood and urine. I was surprised when they asked me if I was diabetic! It even shocked me more when I told them about Atkins and Southbeach and they didn't know much! They were wondering how I got the ketone sticks from the pharmacist because I was not diabetic! They were asking questions like "wow, so you eat the burger without the buns!?"

Today I got a call from the clinic and they told me my liver enzyme was high and I should lay off the booze and tylenol! I told her I do not drink and the last time I took tylenol was six months ago. I even told her that I guessed the high liver enzyme is probably due to the liver burning a lof of fat. Of course she didn't understand and they want me to go back for another blood test in 3 months. BTW, everything else looked good including bad cholestrol that they used to pick on every year and my good cholestrol was a bit low.

The only concern I have is that I was in a car accident 13 years ago and got internal bleeding in my liver that was self-healed and I was discharged from hospital after two days. Other than that, my liver has been successful so far by burning 30lbs of fat.

Can anyone please shed some light on this topic?

[glendarc]

I'm sorry, I can't help with your question -- I have no medical nor scientific background, but I'm sure someone will be along soon to answer your concern.

In the meantime, i wanted to welcome you to the site and wish you continued success in your quest for ideal weight plus optimum health!

[Sydney gal]

Any implied problems with the liver including SGOT, ALP and SGPT elevations should be evaluated by the physician. In my opinion, your doctor should have discussed these findings with you. Could be the enzymes weren't that high and he wasn't that concerned. Elevated enzymes are usually connected to over consumption of drugs or alcohol, liver or muscle tissue trauma/damage, or hepatitis conditions. Since you don't drink or take drugs and you have had liver trauma at one time - maybe a talk with your doctor is in order. I'd call and request he explain what the tests infer - if he doesn't answer to your satisfaction - find a good internist and follow up on your situation. The liver, like the heart, is a vital organ and any implied problems should be addressed.

[Nancy LC]

Had you had any blood tests (liver enzymes) before you went on the diet?

A high carb diet is notorious for causing fatty liver disease. Fructose in particular is awful for that. It doesn't instantly resolve when you change your diet, you'll have to give it some time.

My guess is, you probably have some FLD and your current diet, if you stick to it, is going to resolve that.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070921130735.htm

I tell everyone this: Get copies of your tests and keep them in a binder. You could've had elevated liver enzymes for years and your doctors just didn't find it so unusual they didn't report it.

[blumunz]

Hello, I have liver issues do to a botched gall bladder surgery. I will have them the rest of my life. I havent noticed any issues with my liver so far. My enzymes stay at around 5 points or higher. (S/B 0) I know when my liver starts getting worse I get very itchy skin, I am extremely tired and I have upper right quadrant pain (pain that rides just under my rib cage from about my sternum up under my right arm) The pain is awful and doesnt go away with normal meds and such. Anyway that always lands me in the hospital. So far so good anyway. If your liver enzymes were very high you would have been hospitilized to find out why. Trust me on this. And if they were very high you would have had some symptoms. Maybe not all that I have mentioned but at least some or very similar to those I mentioned

[kamzamani]

Thanks all for your posts and info. I am waiting to get the blood test results in mail. Then I am going to take it to a specialist (thanks to my PPO plan). A couple of things:

1. A few years ago, the doctor saw some high numbers regarding the liver but as soon as I told him about the past trauma, he said it was no bog deal.

2. This year, I never got a chance to see or to talk to the doctor in this clinic. All I have dealt with has been nurse practitioners. And the assumption that I am an alcoholic, is very unprofessional of these nurses. They should first ask if I take any alcohol instead of saying lay off the booze! I believe I am done with this clinic.

[Nancy LC]

Why did you think it was linked to low carbing since you've had this in the past?

[kamzamani]

Why did you think it was linked to low carbing since you've had this in the past?

Because on a low carb diet, the liver is very active burning fat and I thought it would need enzymes to burn the fat. Also, my accident was over 12 years ago and by now the liver should be in a very good health or I should be hospitalized on a regualar basis.

[Squarecube]

Kamazin, er, Kamzamani has a point. Didn't Eades post on this topic recently? Well, sort of, I just checked his site

These drugs are metabolized in the liver, and, consequently, they consume some of the liver’s capacity. Same goes for coffee. No one likes coffee more than I. But when I want to pick up my weight loss after I’ve gone off the wagon for a while, I cut back on my coffee. Why? Because caffeine is metabolized in the liver just like the above drugs. It also consumes some of the liver’s capacity. I switch to decaf for a few days whenever I’m getting back on the straight and narrow. If you can’t stomach the thought of decaf coffee (and I don’t like it, myself) drink decaf Cafe Americano. (Here is a YouTube on how to make an Americano starring yours truly.) There is not as much difference (at least to my palate) between decaf and regular espresso than there is between decaf and regular coffee. Finally, as we age, we tend to drink more. Most people drink like fish during college, then slack off. They start to pick it back up (never to college levels, though, thank God) as they drift into middle age. Alcohol is detoxified in the liver just like caffeine and OTC pain relievers. All these things add up to put quite a load on the liver. And if you’ve regainded weight, you’ve probably got some fatty accumulation in your liver and it’s not working at peak levels anyway. All these added substances that compromise the liver even more don’t help.

Insulin stays in the circulation because it is put there by the pancreas and because it isn’t metabolized in the liver. A liver that isn’t functioning up to snuff won’t break down insulin as rapidly as it should. Consequently, higher levels of insulin mean more difficulty in losing weight. Plus, since the liver is the major organ involved in the entire metabolic process, it works a whole lot better to stabilize everything when it is unhindered by having to detoxify a lot of unnecessary stuff. Which is why you need to baby your liver when you restart your low-carb diet.

[kamzamani]

Well I got the blood test results in mail today and the only elevated item is ALT (SGPT): 68 in the 2-60 IU/L range. My AST (SGOT) is 35 in the 10-50 IU/L range. I am going to take it to a specialist but it doesn't look serious to me just by looking at the numbers.

[Nancy LC]

Oh, I keep forgetting to mention this. You might want to look into Milk Thistle or Silymarin.

[bike2work]

That's what I was going to say: take milk thistle or silymarin. My dog had very elevated liver enzymes and milk thistle brought them right down.

[kamzamani]

I saw the specialist and he sent me for further blood test targeted for liver and also an ultrasound of the my liver. All the results came back normal. The first blood test must've been a fluke or a mis-measure. Anyway, I am not going to that clinic anymore.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

[capmikee]

The reason the nurses asked if you were diabetic is that ketosticks are used to check for ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that some diabetics get. Many health care professionals don't even seem to know what ketosis is, and that it's completely different from ketoacidosis.

[kamzamani]

Hi everyone,
I'm back again. My doctor had scheduled another blood test in 5 months and I just took it yesterday. Unfortunately the liver numbers came back high and he is sending me to a GI specialist. I don't know what to get out of this! I've been off my diet for a month and just got back on it a couple of days ago.

[Daryl]

I had elevated liver enzymes for over ten years, until I began VLC. They're now perfectly normal, and have been for almost two years.

[capmikee]

Unfortunately the liver numbers came back high and he is sending me to a GI specialist. I don't know what to get out of this! I've been off my diet for a month and just got back on it a couple of days ago.
Kamzamani, are you eating low-fat right now? Have you considered trying high-fat instead of high-fiber?

Some interesting studies have come out recently suggesting that the benefits of fiber come from the fatty acids they contain - it seems to me you could get the same benefits from eating actual fat.

[Nancy LC]

Well, as was mentioned earlier in the thread, you could have NFALD, which is caused by eating carbs, especially fructose. You might want to go back and reread some of the earlier suggestions.