What to Do When Liver Function Tests Are Elevated—and What to Eat

The liver serves primarily as the body’s detoxifying organ; thus, a healthy liver ensures more efficient elimination of toxins from the body. What should you do—and what foods are beneficial—if your liver function test results are elevated?

What to Do and What to Eat When Liver Function Tests Are Elevated

If your liver function indicators are elevated, consider incorporating the following into your diet: • Consume fresh fruits such as grapes, apples, and bananas, which are rich in vitamin C. • Increase intake of high-protein foods, including lean meats, eggs, and milk. • Eat more green leafy vegetables—such as spinach and Chinese cabbage—which support liver health. • Drink moderate amounts of green tea, known for its blood-activating and stasis-resolving properties. • When necessary, take hepatoprotective medications—for example, liver-protecting tablets or compound glycyrrhizin tablets—to help restore normal liver function.

Elevated liver function tests can stem from numerous causes, with the most common including: • Viral hepatitis caused by infection with certain viruses—such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), or hepatitis E virus (HEV)—often leading to increased serum transaminase levels. • Excessive alcohol consumption, particularly in individuals who drink heavily over short periods or chronically over long durations. • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), commonly observed in obese individuals due to excessive fat accumulation in hepatocytes, resulting in hepatic inflammation and cellular necrosis following excessive dietary intake.

• Certain inherited metabolic disorders—such as glycogen storage disease or Wilson’s disease (hepatolenticular degeneration). • Drug-induced liver injury, which may occur with antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis agents, or antineoplastic drugs, causing hepatic inflammation and necrosis. • Systemic or extrahepatic conditions—including pancreatitis, cholecystitis, or lymphoma—that can trigger secondary hepatic inflammation and necrosis, thereby impairing liver function. We hope this information proves helpful to you.