Aminotransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the aminotransfer between amino acids and ketoacids, mainly in the heart muscle, brain, liver and kidneys.
There are many types of aminotransferases, among which alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase are the most important, both of which are important indicators for testing liver function. If liver cells are inflamed, necrotic, poisoned, etc., ammonases in the liver will be released into the blood, causing transaminases to rise.
When aminotransferases are elevated, if they are not treated and controlled in time, they may also cause metabolic dysfunction, albumin deficiency, malnutrition, abnormal hematopoietic and coagulation function, decreased immunity, nausea and vomiting, etc., and in severe cases, may even induce hepatic encephalopathy.
Therefore, if an elevated aminotransferase is detected, it should be treated according to the specific trigger. So what are the causes of elevated aminotransferases?
1. Fatty liver
There is a close relationship between elevated aminotransferases and fatty liver, and in the early stage of fatty liver, the indicators of liver function are normal. As the disease worsens, liver function will gradually become abnormal, resulting in an increase in alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and transpeptidase.
There are many causes of fatty liver, so it is necessary to treat them differently according to different causes, such as abstaining from alcohol due to drinking, controlling sugar due to diabetes, and lowering blood lipids due to hyperlipidemia.
It should be noted that lipid-lowering drugs should not be taken when aminotransferases are elevated, and some liver-protecting drugs can be taken in this case to accelerate lipid metabolism and protect liver cell membranes.
2. Long-term consumption of high-oil, high-fat or toxic foods
Excessive intake of high-oil and high-fat foods will inevitably cause serious damage to the body, such as increasing the metabolic burden of the liver, if these substances are not decomposed and synthesized in time, it may lead to excessive fat accumulation in the liver, thereby inducing fatty liver, resulting in an increase in aminotransferases.
Secondly, if you consume foods that contain aflatoxins, you can also cause elevated aminotransferases. This is because aflatoxin is very harmful to the liver, can cause acute inflammation of liver cells, and in severe cases, it may also lead to acute hepatitis and even induce liver failure.
And there are many foods that contain aflatoxins in life, such as moldy corn, peanuts, tree nuts, etc.
3. Stay up late often
When a person is asleep, the liver will begin to repair itself, and the blood flow of the liver will be greater than during the day, so the night is also an important period for liver detoxification, and if you often stay up late, the liver will be significantly affected, such as inducing chronic hepatitis, and then alanine aminotransferase will be elevated.
If you stay up late and consume irritating foods such as high oil and fat, the index of transaminases will soar. In addition to affecting the liver, staying up late can also lead to decreased immunity and memory, so no matter how busy you are, you should go to bed early and wake up early as possible to maintain a good routine.
In summary, as a substance that can protect the liver, aminotransferases should be controlled in time if they exceed the normal range, such as staying away from the above triggers as much as possible. In addition, patients should not consume supplements, hormones, antibiotics, etc., to avoid more serious damage to the liver.
At the same time, you can eat more fungi and protein-rich foods in your life, which can speed up the repair and regeneration of liver cells and promote the normal level of transaminases.