SGOT (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) or also known as AST (aspartate aminotransferase) is an enzyme that is normally found in the heart, liver, muscles, kidneys, pancreas, and red blood cells. SGOT circulating in the blood is usually very small (between 0 to 42 U/L), but levels will increase if your muscles or organs are damaged, for example due to liver disease, heart attack, or an accident. Testing for SGOT levels in the blood is often done in conjunction with other enzyme tests (eg alanine aminotransferase or ALT enzymes) to determine whether the liver or other organs/tissues are damaged or not. You can reduce high SGOT levels due to liver damage by making lifestyle changes, taking herbal supplements, and taking certain medications.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Lower SGOT Levels Naturally
Step 1. Limit alcohol consumption
Continuous use of alcohol makes SGOT levels rise because ethanol is toxic to liver cells and damages them. Occasional consumption of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, cocktails, highball) does not have a significant impact on SGOT or other liver enzymes, but consuming them in moderation over the long term (more than two drinks a day) or binge drinking on the weekends will obviously increase enzyme levels.
- If you are a moderate or heavy drinker and your SGOT level is high, you can lower your enzyme levels by reducing or stopping alcohol consumption. It can take several weeks or more to see results through a blood test.
- Consuming alcohol in small amounts (less than one drink a day) has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but consuming ethanol will at least cause minimal injury to liver and pancreatic cells.
- Looking at the level of SGOT and alt=""Image" is the most useful step to determine if there is damage to the liver, although the level of SGOT is less specific in describing the condition of the liver than looking at the level of ALT.</li" />
Step 2. Lose weight with a low-calorie diet
There are many reasons why you should lose weight, for example to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Losing weight by reducing daily calorie intake can also reduce SGOT levels. Researchers believe that the combination of low body mass with small amounts of refined sugar, saturated fat and preservatives can reduce the liver's workload and allow it to recover (ultimately reflecting low levels of SGOT). A low-calorie diet is usually done by reducing the consumption of refined sugar and saturated fat, and replacing it with lean meats, whole grains, fish, vegetables, and fresh fruits.
- SGOT levels and concentrations of other liver enzymes in men on a constant low-calorie diet will continue to fall, while women on the same diet sometimes show an increase in SGOT levels initially before dropping a few weeks later.
- For most women, consuming less than 2,000 calories a day can result in weight loss of 0.45 kg or more in a week, even if only moderate exercise. Most men will lose weight if they consume less than 2,200 calories regularly each day.
- Losing weight through vigorous exercise and lifting weights has many health benefits, but SGOT levels can rise due to persistently low levels of muscle breakdown.
Step 3. Add coffee to your diet
Research conducted in 2014 concluded that drinking regular coffee or moderate amounts of decaffeinated coffee can be beneficial for liver health and lower enzymes in the liver, such as SGOT. This suggests that chemicals other than caffeine found in coffee can help heal or protect liver cells. Scientists are not sure yet, but they suspect that a useful ingredient for the liver and other organs is the antioxidant content in coffee.
- Participants who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had lower levels of liver enzymes than those who drank no coffee.
- Previous research has shown that drinking coffee in moderation can help lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and liver diseases, such as liver cancer and cirrhosis.
- If you want to lower SGOT levels and be free from liver problems, you should choose decaffeinated coffee because there are side effects that arise from consuming moderate to high amounts of caffeine (such as indigestion, nervousness, sleep disturbances, and so on).
Step 4. Try taking a milk thistle supplement
Milk thistle is an ancient herbal remedy that is often used to treat various ailments such as liver, kidney and gallbladder problems. A number of scientific studies have concluded that the compounds in milk thistle (particularly silymarin) are useful for protecting the liver from toxins and stimulating healing by growing new liver cells. Silymarin also has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, it is not clear to what extent silymarin can reduce blood levels of SGOT and other liver enzymes because the research is conflicting. Since it's relatively side-effectless, milk thistle might be worth a try if you're looking for a natural remedy for liver disease, even if it doesn't have a dramatic effect on SGOT levels.
- Most milk thistle supplements contain 70 to 80% silymarin and are available in extracts, capsules, and tinctures at pharmacies and health food stores.
- The dose of milk thistle for people with liver disease is 200 to 300 mg, taken 3 times a day.
- Common causes of moderate to high levels of elevated SGOT levels in the blood are liver disease, such as viral hepatitis (A, B, and C), alcoholic cirrhosis, congestion and liver damage due to toxins.
Step 5. Try supplementing your diet with turmeric powder
Turmeric powder is the most clinically tested herb because it has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that make it useful for healing various organs of the body, including the liver. The largest medicinal compound in turmeric is curcumin, which has been shown to reduce high levels of liver enzymes (SGOT and ALT) in both humans and animals. The amount of curcumin required to have a significant effect on liver enzymes is approximately 3,000 mg daily for a maximum of 12 weeks.
- Turmeric (curcumin) has also been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and various cancers.
- Curry powder, which is often used in Asian and Indian cuisine, is high in turmeric/curcumin and gives the curry its bright yellow color.
Part 2 of 2: Lowering SGOT Levels with Medical Assistance
Step 1. Consult a doctor
SGOT and alt=""Image" blood tests are usually done because there are symptoms in the liver according to the doctor's identification. Some of the common symptoms associated with inflammation/damage/injury/failure of the liver include: yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice), dark urine, swollen and painful upper right abdomen, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling weak/tired, disoriented or confused, and drowsy. To make a diagnosis, the doctor will consider liver enzyme levels, symptoms, physical examination, positive diagnostic tests (eg MRI and ultrasound) and possibly a liver biopsy (tissue sample).
- Acute liver failure due to various causes can develop very quickly (within a few days) in an otherwise healthy person and can be life-threatening. So high levels of SGOT and other enzymes should be taken seriously.
- In addition to the symptoms and signs mentioned above, a liver panel (looks at all liver enzymes in the blood) may need to be done regularly for: people on long-term medication, alcoholics and heavy drinkers, people who have had attacks of hepatitis previously, diabetics and people who are obese.
Step 2. Ask your doctor if you can stop taking certain medications
Most drugs have the potential to damage the liver and increase the amount of liver enzymes in the blood (including SGOT), but this is usually a matter of dose and the length of time a person takes them. Like alcohol, all drugs are metabolized (broken down) in the liver, potentially overloading the liver too hard. It has been explained that some drugs (or their breakdown products) are naturally toxic to the liver when compared to other compounds. For example, the drugs statins (which are used to lower blood cholesterol levels) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) have a greater negative effect on the liver than most other drugs.
- If you have high SGOT levels and are currently taking acetaminophen and/or statins, consult your doctor for medication or alternative solutions for chronic pain and high cholesterol. The minimum dose is reduced.
- When you stop taking drugs that have a toxic effect on your liver, your SGOT levels will naturally decrease within a few weeks or so.
- Too much iron buildup in the body (called hemochromatosis) can also increase liver enzyme levels. This can be a problem if your doctor gives you iron injections to treat anemia caused by a lack of iron.
- Acetaminophen is given in accordance with normal liver function, based on the recommended normal dose without causing toxic effects on the liver. Always follow the directions and dosage recommendations from your doctor.
Step 3. Take medication for liver disease
As already mentioned, there are many liver diseases (and several other conditions) that can increase blood levels of SGOT and other enzymes. However, there are some medications that can be used to help treat liver disease, such as viral infections (hepatitis A, B, and C), cirrhosis (fat accumulation and dysfunction due to alcohol abuse), and cancer. Ask your doctor about your treatment options, which usually include liver replacement if you have complete liver failure. Also make sure that you understand the side effects that will occur when taking strong drugs.
- Hepatitis B is usually treated using drugs such as adefovir dipivoxil and lamivudine, whereas hepatitis C is usually treated using a combination of peginterferon with ribavirin.
- Cirrhosis is usually treated with diuretic drugs (to relieve edema), as well as laxatives (eg lactulose) to help absorb toxins from the blood and ease the workload on the liver.
- There are several chemotherapy drugs (such as capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and gemcitabine) used to treat liver cancer, including targeted therapies such as injecting the drug sorafenib (Nexavar) directly into the tumor.
Tips
- Increased levels of SGOT are more vulnerable to be experienced by health workers because they are at risk of contracting hepatitis B through contact with fluids and blood from infected patients. For this reason, they are advised to get the hepatitis B vaccine.
- More than 5.5 million people in the US have cirrhosis or chronic liver disease.
- High levels of SGOT appear to be due to acute liver damage caused by toxins, alcohol, or narcotics.
