What Causes High ALT? (7 Common Causes of Elevated ALT)

High ALT is a sign that there is a problem somewhere in your body. It could be in the Liver for sure, but elevated ALT can also be caused by other things as well. One thing is for sure, any elevation in ALT is a warning sign that should be investigated thoroughly to find & correct the cause.

Research:

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Ken D Berry, MD, is a Family Physician and has been practicing Family Medicine in Tennessee for over 20 years, having seen over 25,000 patients in his career so far.
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[Happyat]

About to knock your socks off….in 2012 my ALT was 1411 and my AST was 2011. Diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis with stage 3-4 liver cirrhosis. Today my ALT is 15 and AST is 28 off of all steroids and only on Imuran the last four years. My doctor said no alcohol but otherwise lifestyle changes would not make a difference. Don’t ever let someone tell you lifestyle changes won’t make a difference. Started intermittent fasting, keto and exercising. I’m going to prove them wrong!

[robertburke]

I had a chronically elevated ALT level for years. Doctor did some imaging and said it was fatty liver. When I changed my diet to Keto then Carnivore they returned to normal in a short period of time. I've been eating this way going on five years now and my ALT (tested annually) has remained normal. A lot of other things normalized as well.

[jennifersanders]

I started carnivore today. Age 65 with health & weight issues. Wish me luck 🙏🏻

[MyCarnivoreKitchen]

I had NAFLD and my ALT was in the 100’s. Since going carnivore, my ALT has dropped down to normal range. I’m so grateful for the information you share, Dr Berry. Thank you!

[ericy]

My ALT was 583 six weeks ago. Lowered it to 89 with no alcohol, low carb diet - mostly meat, some fruit and veg. No simple carbs or added sugars. Lost 22 lbs. Liver isn't happy yet, but this is working.

[hazcatsophia]

I had my ALT checked every two months for nearly a decade while taking methotrexate - because there was a risk of liver damage. I’m thankful my liver was not damaged during this time. Carnivore has eliminated my need for it. I feel better than I did while taking it. My ALT is currently 14.

[agrivator]

My GP just assumed I was a drinker when I had a high ALT and needed to cut down despite me telling her I drank very little. 3 months later and my ALT was considerably higher and the GP started insisting that I seriously needed to listen to her advice to cut my drinking, to which I could then say I had drank zero. Nothing. Nada. Not one alcoholic drink in that time. No meds, nothing. Had ultrasound scans and shown to have a really healthy looking liver with no NAFLD.
Eventually worked out I’d been living (and really suffering) with Lyme Disease for over 20 years from a tick bite. High liver enzymes is something many other sufferers have seen. My suffering had been greatly reduced by adopting as close as possible to the a carnivore diet which has helped the pain, fatigue, cognitive and sleep problems as well as the usual zero carb benefits like my 50kg fat loss. It has also helped get and keep my ALT back down in the healthy range according to my monthly blood tests. These are done as I’m currently treating the Lyme with Disulfiram which in itself can cause high liver enzymes so have been keeping a very close eye on these figures.
Love your vids Dr B!

[paolamolinari]

👍🏼 My ALT and AST reduced significantly after starting ketovore/carnivore.

[cathleenloveysmom]

Thank you Dr. Berry another great video. My numbers were in the 50's, now both are 19.

[xshaide]

My gf has an ALT of 125. Her doctor told her to get bloodwork again in 7 weeks. She was very rude and showed no rush or concern

[chrisbpost]

Oh my gosh my ALT has been elevated for over 35 years. No doctor has had any concern about it at all. Geesh! Thank God for Dr Berry and all the knowledge he is sharing! I’m looking forward to my blood work getting better and better. (When I was in my late teens/early twenties I did drink too much, but not in over 35 years). But I do have hypo thyroid and NAFLD per my current (wonderful) doctor.
Slow but sure we are working on me getting more healthy and out of the Metabolic sickness. THANK YOU DR BERRY for everything you do! This knowledge is changing my life! 😁

[janismcgovern]

My enzymes also alk phos were off the wall until I stopped my statins! My gi doc tested me for all the hepatitis viruses and I was negative. I had fatty liver and T2DM .
Now all my numbers are normal after getting off statins and my a1c is 5.2 on carnivore !
Thank you a million!

[davidcurtis]

For some people strenuous exercise like lifting weights can cause elevated ALT and AST. This happened to me. Mine were high (AST 46 in a 0-40 range and ALT of 72 in a 0-44 range). I researched it and found clinical studies that showed this to be one cause. I mentioned it to my doctor and she ignored it. She had me tested again after not drinking anything for 2 weeks with the same results and then had me take the hepatitis tests which were negative. The next time I had blood work done I made sure to not lift for 2 weeks prior to the blood being taken and my results were right in the middle of the normal range (AST 24 and ALT 25).

[uuzoo]

Another thing that can elevate ALT, as well as AST, is intense weight training. My ALT was several points elevated. My doctor was a little concerned. So, he had me come back a month later to get rechecked. I stopped all resistance weight training one week prior and my ALT was normal.
Intense weight training can also cause high CPK and CK levels as well. My CPK was very high, and my doctor had an echocardiogram ordered. Everything came back normal except for mild MVP.
I was surprised at the doctor because he supposedly specialised in Sports Medicine, and I would think he would know that.

[dchavarin]

My son is on keto for epilepsy. His alt was originally 46 and I started giving him ground beef everyday day and his alt went to 97. We eliminated beef and did chicken and turkey instead and his alt is now 26

[heatherknits]

2018 I was hospitalized for “anorexia nervosa”… My doctor nearly held me down and locked me into a hospital bed because I had dropped over 100 pounds, really closer to 150. According to my doctor, my ALT was “slightly” elevated. It really wasn’t so bad, only 1473! And she didn’t believe I was starving. I wanted to eat! My biggest complaint was I was scrawny, ugly, and weak. Except my friend told me, I didn’t recognize the jaundice. But I would eat (a dandelion leaf was a full meal) and my belly would swell so badly I had to unbutton my skirt, wear suspenders, and a maternity top. The fool is now out of practice, and I escaped the hospital, which might be the only reason I lived. They tried hard to kill me, trying to make me eat corn and milk.

My current doctor has properly diagnosed anorexia due to a known medical condition (the liver failure) and we have a yearly chat about how I need to eat fruit, and vegetables, and grains. I remind him I live in America, and everything is contaminated with corn, to which I am allergic, that tomatoes are a fruit, and so are cucumbers and that I source my meat from the woods and my fish from the lake. He shrugs, and goes on to discuss what I feed my grand babies, because he doesn’t know anyone else that makes butter sauce for pork rinds. But he will haul me in the minute my ALT is over 37. He’s not stupid. No doctor should be. They pay too much for medical school, so I don’t think they should need nutrition advice from a cook.

Do not bother with a vegan diet. ESPECIALLY if you are overweight to start. For me, it started the weight loss, and it was great. I lost fifty, then seventy-five pounds. At 100 pounds lost, my liver had gone from unable to process all the toxins stored in my fat to shutting down. At that point, it was a death spiral. On top of it all, I couldn’t even stand to cook a meal. Eventually, I was living on gelatin. I made it by the gallon, and I ate a gallon every day. I made licorice gelatin, and coffee gelatin, and milk thistle gelatin… whatever sounded good that day. I don’t recommend a gelatin diet, but I was too exhausted to make bone broth… and my mind could hardly move beyond wondering what day it was. Take care of your liver, and don’t let your doctor get away with brushing you off. You are paying for the time, the time for your doctor to explain your test results. You’re free to refuse treatment, but don’t let the doctor shove aside your health.

[kimmcnichols]

My ALT just 2 weeks ago was 9! Yay! Thank you Dr Berry !

[miyukinkin]

Hi Dr. Berry! 1 month ago, my Hemoglobin A1C came back 8.9. I was in shock, but did some research and that led me to your channel. When I found your channel, I was already 3weeks into a medically supervised weight loss program, very low calories low fat and tons of veggies and was very weak and miserable. But after finding you, I switched to Ketovore. (Mostly fatty meats and eggs, minimal fruit and veggies). 1week after starting your diet, I pulled out an older blood test order that Dr. Gave me before, and went to get another blood test. My A1C dropped from the previous 8.9 to 7.3 (work in progress) fasting glucose dropped from 173 to 94, but cholesterol levels changed (some raised and some dropped). Total Cholesterol from 188 to 211, HDL from 54 to 66, Triglycerides from 176 to 140, LDL Choc Calc (NIH) from 104 to 120. Also I don’t have the previous number but my non HDL cholesterol is 145 in red zone. (Since I found your channel, I stopped taking statins is this why? )Also, ALT raised from previous 24 to 35 and is now in red zone. (I am a migraine sufferer of 45+ years and I am 50 years old) The change in these numbers happened in about 1-3 weeks. Am I headed to the right direction? I am going to see my doctor in a few days to compare these numbers, but I have no idea if my doctor have the same knowledge that you have so I wanted to get some idea on what is happening here. Also, I placed a check mark where it said insulin, because my doctor’s order didn’t have that, and my insulin level came back 7.0 (normal) previous is unknown.

[richardayala]

Had blood test done last month. My ALT is 21, my wife is 22. I am Hispanic and she is Caucasian. We were both on a Keto for past seven years, I understand that the normal ALT level has been raised from 25 to 40 by the AMA because so many people today have a fatty liver.

[twiggyfitness]

I'm so glad i found this video. Just got lab results, and my ALT is high, but the liver scan 5 months ago shows perfect liver. Im going to cut the Tylenol and retest before i make myself crazy.