The liver is the most hardworking organ of our body. Although, it is the most underestimated organ and in some persons, the most abused organ too. It is directly and indirectly responsible for a lot of physiological processes going on inside our body. The liver does a great deal of multitasking, right from formation and conversion of products needed by the body to the metabolism of everything that we eat and drink.
Are you worried on how to reduce SGPT and SGOT levels? Then here are the methods which you can follow. Liver cells, also called as Hepatocytes, release certain enzymes into the bloodstream in response to any kind of injury and infection. These enzymes are
- Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) also called Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)
- Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT), also called Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)
- Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)
- Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)
Elevated liver enzymes are normally detected while performing routine blood investigations or when the person is unwell. Usually, all the above mentioned enzymes are done under a single umbrella of a laboratory blood test called “Liver function test”.
Normal Range of SGPT and SGOT Levels
- SGPT normal level ranges from 7 to 56 units per litre of blood
- SGOT normal level ranges from 5 to 40 units per litre of blood
Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase is a liver enzyme that is very important for energy production. It is there in different tissues such as the liver, skeletal muscles and heart. Most of the highest concentration is present in the liver. SGPT leaks out of the cells and into your blood when the liver is damaged. If there is a high level of SGPT than normal in blood indicates liver problems or damage. Sometimes the elevation might also be due to strenuous activity.
The amount of SGOT levels in the blood is directly related to the amount of injury or infection caused to the liver cells. When there is severe infection or injury, even after complete recovery, SGOT levels remain high for up to 5 days.
High SGOT indicates that there may be a problem with some other organ and not just liver. An elevated level of both SGOT and SGPT indicates a problem with the liver itself and can be potentially dangerous not just for the liver, but for the overall health of a person. SGOT levels may be normal or low. Low levels are not an issue for concern though.
Common Causes of Elevated SGOT and SGPT Levels
- Trauma or injury directly above the liver region or strenuous exercise
- Hepatitis A, B, C, D
- Fatty Liver Disease
- Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Autoimmune Hepatitis
- Bacterial and Viral Infections
- Toxic Hepatitis – Caused by certain toxins, drugs or chemicals
- In Pregnant Women, HELLP syndrome – Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count
- Cardiac Failure or Renal Failure
- Gall Bladder Disease
- Cancer of the liver cells or Metastasis to the liver from other locations
Jaundice is the first sign of injured liver and high levels of SGOT and SGPT. Several patients with Hepatitis C do not show elevated SGOT levels.
Natural Methods For Reducing SGPT Levels
Dietary Modifications
A damaged liver allows SGPT to seep into the blood. As vitamin D prevents the liver damage, including vitamin D in your diet is a good idea. At least one fruit and vegetable containing vitamin D should be added in each major meal to have a daily dose of vitamin D. It helps in keeping off the liver disease.
Good sources of vitamin D are green leafy vegetables, cod liver oil, fish, fortified cereals, oysters, caviar, tofu, soy milk, dairy products, eggs, mushrooms, apples, and oranges.
A plant based nutrient-rich diet should be taken. Eating organic foods helps regulate the liver, allowing it to cleanse itself of toxins and create new cells to stop the leakage of SGPT into the blood. These foods are often rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They are also low in fat. Home cooked food is the best option. It is better to stay off from outside products which have gone through unnecessary processing, ridding them of their nutrients.Green leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, squash and a variety of fresh fruits should be staples of your diet, along with nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean meats.
The high fat foods should be avoided as fatty foods are harder for the liver to process the nutrients from it. Some fat in the liver is normal, but if the liver is more than 10% fat, then it is called as fatty liver. This can often cause liver inflammation and surrounding liver tissue damage. The damaged liver cells release SGPT into the bloodstream, increasing your levels.
The oily foods that are deep fried, meat fats, pork and chicken skins, coconut oils, butter, cheese, processed foods, sausages, bacon, junk foods and carbonated drinks should be avoided. The foods which are high in sodium or salt should also be avoided. Because it might cause liver swelling and fluid retention. So it will be very hard for the liver to filter the waste. This leads to liver damage which in turn allows SGPT from the liver to leak into the bloodstream thus by raising the levels.
These are the common foods which need to be avoided: salt, bouillon cubes, baking soda, soy sauce, salad dressings, pickled foods, and other processed foods. Avoid adding salt to your dishes whenever possible.
Lifestyle Modifications
Avoid Drinking Alcoholic Beverages
Alcohol is very injurious to the liver and, with continued drinking, can close down entirely. When alcohol is consumed it goes straight into the bloodstream. All the blood is then received and filtered in the kidney. It is now the liver’s work to filter all the toxic waste in the body, including toxins from alcohol. This, over time, can cause serious liver damage. Depending on the liver damage severity, the more and more SGPT will seep out of its cells and into the blood.
Alcohol consumption has been a major provider of liver diseases such as fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, and hepatitis. Self-discipline should be developed in order to stop alcohol consumption. And this will help in decreasing SGPT from leaking into the bloodstream.
Regular Exercise
The overall health can be improved by just doing some simple exercises like jogging, brisk walking, and swimming. It also helps the liver to be on right track. When the body is active, it helps in excreting toxins through sweats. Exercise burns fat keeps one fit and produces more lean muscles. More importantly, it keeps all the organs healthier and liver is not an exception. The fewer toxins your liver has to clean up, the more energy it can dedicate to strengthening its cells.
At least 30 minutes of daily exercise every day can make a difference in your liver’s health. When toxins are excreted, it reduces the amount of work that the liver will be doing, thus preventing increased SGPT levels.
Quit Smoking
Smoking should be avoided at any cost as the cigarette smoke comprises toxins like nicotine and ammonia. When you are exposed to these toxins, they stick to your skin and will be absorbed, providing the liver another burden to filter, getting rid of all the toxins in the body. Avoid passive smoking also as well as this too has similar effects.
Lungs are not the only organ which is affected by smoking. But also lungs, kidneys, heart, hair, nails and skin becomes damaged.
Avoid Exposure to Harmful Chemicals
Smoke from air pollution contains gasoline, ammonia, and fumes among other harmful chemicals that have dissolved in the air. If you work or live in an environment which is continuously exposed to these toxins, lessen your exposure as much as possible. These toxins may leak through your skin causing liver damage and increasing the SGPT levels.
If there are no options then one must wear long sleeves, pants, a mask, and gloves at all times. The more safety measures you take, the healthier you will be for the longer term.
Getting Medical Treatment
A blood sample should be taken to measure SGPT levels. When there is an acute liver damage, the SGPT levels rise intensely and will leak through cell walls into the blood. But, an increase in SGPT levels must be confirmed carefully because it may be raised due to recently performing exercises or any strenuous activities.
A diagnosis of liver damage should not be made with only SGPT. Other types of tests are also to be done to validate if the patient actually suffers from damage to the liver.
Over-the-Counter Drugs Should Be Stopped
Taking the OTC drugs without the prescription of the physician is harmful to both liver and kidneys. The liver carries the load of absorbing these drugs and filtering harmful substances which can further result in liver damage. It is better to consume only the medicines which doctor has prescribed for you. Generally, there are few hepatotoxic drugs which are toxic to the liver. So when in doubt, the physician should be consulted who can prescribe the non-hepatotoxic drugs.
Medications such as Antibiotics and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause elevated SGPT and SGOT levels.
Take Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids reduce the activity of the body’s immune system. It also reduces inflammation by reducing the production of inflammatory chemicals to less tissue damage. These can be taken orally or can be injected into a vein. The most common corticosteroids are Hydrocortisone, Prednisone, and Fludrocortisone. Once the inflammation decreases, the liver cells will start to restore, decreasing the release of SGPT into the bloodstream.
Antiviral Medications Should Be Taken
Sometimes the liver may be infected by a virus which in turn increase the SGPT levels. After a thorough blood test, the doctor might prescribe antiviral medications like Telaprevir, Entecavir, etc. This works in the same way as corticosteroids. Once the infection is eradicated, the liver cells will start to regenerate. Therefore decreasing the release of SGPT into the bloodstream.
SGPT starts decreasing once the infection is eradicated. The liver cells will start to regenerate, regularizing your levels. With new cells, SGPT cannot leak into your bloodstream.
Consider Taking Herbal Supplements
Consuming herbal supplements will also help in reducing SGPT levels. Talk to your doctor to see if any of these is safe and appropriate for you. Possible supplements like milk thistle, inositol and burdock root. The healthcare professional can guide you on the amounts of these to be taken on daily basis.
Finally, Keep SGPT Goal
Always check your SGPT level goal. This will ultimately help you to lower the SGPT levels. Reference ranges differ from laboratory to laboratory and will depend on the method used. However, the normal range for SGPT levels is 10 to 40 international units per liter. Values are significantly higher (greater than 15 times the upper limit of normal) in cases of hepatitis and are moderately higher (5-15 times the ULN) in cases of severe burns, cirrhosis, obstructive jaundice, and liver tumors.
Natural Methods For Reducing SGOT levels
Several medical, alternative therapies as well as home remedies will help you reduce SGOT levels to the normal range. It is of prime importance anyway, to first deal with the cause of elevated SGOT levels.
Identification of the cause and appropriate diagnosis is necessary before undergoing any therapy or medications. Simply aiming to reduce enzyme levels would do not good.
The contents of the food that we eat or drink are all processed inside the liver. Therefore, diet and regimen are equally important in managing high SGOT levels.
The question remaining, how can you lower SGOT levels in blood?
Foods For Reducing SGOT Levels
- Water – Drinking plenty of water helps in flushing out toxins and all unwanted waste substances from the body. Water intake should be limited for patients with chronic renal failure.
- Fresh Fruits and Vegetables – These contain vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants which help in clearing out free radicals from the blood.
Reduce SGOT Levels By Fresh Fruits and Vegetable - Maintain Heart and Kidney Health – Damage to these organs also raises SGOT levels in the blood. Take appropriate measures and medications to maintain the health status of kidney and heart.
- Regular Exercise – Overweight and obese individuals have a high risk of having the fatty liver disease. At least 30 minutes of brisk walking or any other form of exercise done routinely helps in burning out fats.
Regular Exercises Reduce SGOT Levels - Vitamin-D – Vitamin D reduces liver damage. Foods rich in Vitamin-D include oranges, soy milk, dairy products, tofu, liver oil, mushrooms, eggs and leafy vegetables.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Fish oil, walnuts and flax seeds are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These lower triglyceride levels and improve liver function.
- Glutathione – Herbs rich in glutathione prevent further damage to liver cells and promote healing and boost immunity against infections. Glutathione is available in the form of dietary supplements and it is also found in foods like cauliflower, sprouts, broccoli and dietary proteins.
- Raw Honey – One which is not refined has anti-infective properties. It is the most easily available food source to improve liver health and reduce SGOT levels. Raw honey helps to reduce any kind of infection of the liver. Raw honey can be taken daily.
Raw Helps To Reduce SGOT Levels - Coconut Oil – This is often underestimated in its effect upon the liver. Coconut oil contains lauric acid which increases HDL. Virgin coconut oil has documented results in its protective effect upon the liver.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – 2-3 spoonful in a glass of water daily works wonders to maintain good health. It is often used as a way to detoxify your blood and liver. It can be used to manage almost any kind of illness.
- Green tea – Catechin is a powerful antioxidant present in green tea. These reduce free radicals and reduce liver inflammation.
Green Tea Helps To Reduce SGOT Levels - Manage Stress – It would also be beneficial if you could take adequate steps to manage your stress levels. High stress levels can harm your mental as well as physical weel being.
What To Avoid For Reducing SGOT Levels in Blood?
- Avoid oily, deep fried, processed food, food with high salt content, junk food, excess caffeine and aerated drinks.
- Avoid liver-toxic drugs.
- Completely avoid alcohol and cigarette smoking.
- Avoid a high protein diet – A damaged liver will not be able to process proteins efficiently.
- Avoid exposure to harmful substances, chemicals and pollutants
- Avoid over-the-counter medications. Take only prescribed medications. Your doctor will be able to prescribe to you medicines which do not affect the liver function.
Get routine medical check ups done on a regular basis to keep track of your liver function status. All the above ways to lower SGPT and SGOT levels in blood do not substitute medications.
Take prior consultation before taking any herbs or natural medicines or diet supplements because an inappropriate dose of any of these things can additionally deteriorate the liver function and elevate liver enzymes further more.
Medically Reviewed By
I am an experienced Medical/Scientific writer with a passion for helping people live a happy healthy life. My thirst for writing has followed me throughout the years – it is there when I wake up, lingering at the edges of my consciousness during the day, and teases me at night as I go to sleep.
