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Diet for High SGPT and SGOT Levels in Pregnancy

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Medically Reviewed by Dr. Arti Sharma
Written by Hexahealth Care Team, last updated on 3 September 2024| min read
Diet for High SGPT and SGOT Levels in Pregnancy

Quick Summary

  • SGPT and SGOT are liver enzymes that are elevated in liver damage.
  • A healthy diet can help repair liver damage and lower SGPT and SGOT levels.
  • Avoid foods that are high in fat, sugar, and cholesterol.

The liver is an essential organ that facilitates several vital functions such as blood filtration, detoxification, producing bile juice, etc. That is why we say a healthy liver equals a healthy body. During pregnancy, a woman needs to stay healthy so that her baby grows well. However, a woman may suffer from a liver condition affecting her SGPT and SGOT levels during pregnancy.

One can include a healthy diet to help repair the damage caused to the liver. Therefore, as a to-be-mom, you may have many queries, like how to lower the SGPT and SGOT levels. Is there any diet to reduce these levels? What foods should you avoid? This blog will answer all such questions. 

What is SGPT and SGOT?

Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) are enzymes found in the liver and heart tissues. SGPT is also known as alanine transferase (ALT), and SGOT is known as aspartate transaminase (AST). These enzymes help in converting food into energy. High SGPT and SGOT levels in pregnancy detected in the blood may indicate liver damage, cancer, or other conditions. The normal range of SGPT is 4 to 36 Units/litre of serum, while that of SGOT is 8 to 22 Units/litre of serum. High SGPT and SGOT levels in pregnancy indicate that the woman is likely to suffer from liver disease. However, low SGPT levels are linked with vitamin B deficiency and alcoholics.

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Causes of high SGPT and SGOT levels in pregnancy

High SGPT and SGOT levels in pregnancy may be due to:
  1. Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
  2. Hepatitis (swollen and inflamed liver)
  3. Hemochromatosis (increased iron in the body)
  4. Liver ischemia (decreased blood flow to the liver)
  5. Liver cancer
  6. Mononucleosis (an infection that spreads through saliva)
  7. Death of liver tissues
  8. Pancreatitis (swollen and inflamed pancreas)
  9. Use of drugs that are harmful to the liver

Role of Healthy Diet in Pregnancy

Eating nutritious food during pregnancy will provide the baby with several vital nutrients, which will eventually help the baby grow. There is no need for any particular diet but to include a variety of foods every day to get the right balance of nutrients for you and your baby. A pregnant woman with high SGPT and SGOT level should include diet which has the following nutrients:
  1. Minerals such as iron, calcium
  2. Protein
  3. Vitamin A, B complex, C, and D.
  4. Omega-3 fatty acids
  5. Fibre
  6. Antioxidants

Diet for high SGPT and SGOT levels in pregnancy

If you have noticed any of the above symptoms or your report shows high SGPT and SGOT levels in pregnancy, consult your doctor to know what is best for you so as to lower the levels of SGPT and SGOT. However,  natural home remedies and intake of balanced diet can also help lower the SGPT and SGOT levels during pregnancy. Consuming a balanced healthy diet, not only benefits your liver but boosts overall health. This will help you and your baby to be fit, strong, and healthy. Below mentioned are some of the diet tips to reduce the levels of SGPT and SGOT:
  1. Include a balanced diet: Add food items such as fruits, vegetables, grains, fats, oil, and milk products.
  2. Fruits: Add a bowl of fresh fruit daily to your diet to help repair the liver. Fruits such as citrus fruits, apples, grapes, and berries are liver-friendly. They contain antioxidants that may improve the liver's health and lower SGOT and SGPT levels. 
  3. Vegetables: Include cruciferous and green leafy vegetables in your diet. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are rich sources of glutathione. At the same time, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, kale, collard green, etc. are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, chlorophyll, and glutathione, that are good for the liver and aid in flushing out toxins from the body. These vegetables take care of the daily fibre requirement too. Sufficient fibre intake aids the liver in working at optimum levels.
  4. Fish: Include fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna as these are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that help lower liver inflammation. These fats may prevent extra fat accumulation in the liver and help restore normal SGPT and SGOT levels in pregnancy.
  5. Nuts and seeds: Nuts are rich in vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, fats, and unsaturated fatty acids, which may improve the overall health of the liver. Also, seeds such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc., contain healthy fat which is beneficial to the liver and can be added to salads or juices. 
  6. Beverages: Drink beverages such as green tea and coffee. Drinking coffee during pregnancy can be risky. If you still wish to consume coffee, limit its intake to 200 mg a day or less. One can drink decaffeinated varieties that contain little or no caffeine. Caffeine increases the level of antioxidants in the liver, which may reduce the abnormal liver enzymes for individuals with liver conditions. Tea may act as an antioxidant that may help in forming liver enzymes. Regularly drinking green tea may lower the effects of liver disease. 
  7. Whole grain: Whole grain products such as brown rice, oatmeal, barley, and millet are suitable for the liver. They have high fibre content and lower sugar storage in the liver.
  8. Drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated. This helps the liver to function more efficiently.
Please note: Before implementing any diet changes, please consult your doctor.

Dietary chart to lower SGOT and SGPT levels during pregnancy

If you want to lower your SGPT and SGOT levels, you must make dietary modifications. Below is a diet to lower the SGPT and SGOT levels:

Breakfast

  1. One cup of green tea or black coffee
  2. Three to four cups of berries or fruits (orange, apple, cherries, blueberries, strawberries)
  3. One cup of cereal with milk
  4. One-fourth cup of nuts and seeds
  5. Half cup dried oat with milk or water
  6. Two scrambled eggs
Lunch
  1. One slice of whole grain bread with a bowl of vegetable
  2. Three to four oz tofu, fish, or meat
  3. One egg and sandwich
  4. One bowl of crispy chicken salad
Dinner 
  1. Half a cup of lentils or beans
  2. Three-forth cups brown rice with leafy vegetable
  3. Three-forth cups brown rice with mixed vegetable
  4. Steak tacos
  5. Baked fish and roasted vegetables

What food to avoid if a woman suffers from high SGPT and SGOT levels?

Adding food items that are good for the liver is very important, but at the same time, it is vital to cut out some foods/drinks that do not benefit your liver health. Avoid foods and drinks such as:
  1. Aerated fizzy drinks: occasionally, consuming fizzy drinks is not harmful. They contain high amounts of sugar. However, daily consumption may start to damage the liver. They may also cause obesity and weight gain that eventually affects your liver and increases the possibility of developing a fatty liver.
  2. Fried foods: Fried and baked food items such as fries, chips, muffins, and pastries are harmful to the liver. They may cause fats to build up in the liver cells, resulting in fatty liver disease.
  3. Alcohol: Drinking excessive alcohol is considered the most common cause of liver disease (acute and chronic). It affects the liver and may cause fatty liver disease or other diseases like cirrhosis.
  4. Foods containing high salt: Foods such as processed food, canned foods, etc., which have too much salt, may cause water retention in our bodies. Salty foods are never easy on our liver. Therefore, one must avoid consuming processed and canned foods with high sodium content.
  5. Processed meat: Processed meats, including bacon, hot dogs, and salami, have high saturated fats, which, when consumed for a long time, may damage the liver. Also, red meat, such as pork and beef, has high saturated fats. Several liver transplant surgeons suggest that people who have fatty liver disease must avoid such food products.

Additional activities to be performed with diet

Regular exercise is equally important as diet. Diet and exercise go hand in hand to keep your liver and body healthy. If your pregnancy is normal, you can start or continue your regular physical activity as eating a well-balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising can help you with a liver condition (fatty liver).
  1. A pregnant woman should exercise 30 mins on all days or 20 min for 3 to 4 days a week (both durations are beneficial).
  2. The main aim of exercising should be that it benefits your health during pregnancy.
  3. Prenatal yoga is a helpful, low-impact, and great exercise that is truly beneficial for pregnant women.
Start your exercise slowly and gently. However, you must discuss with your Ob-gyn if it is safer for you to exercise or not.

Conclusion

The growing baby inside you needs all possible nutrients to grow healthy. Therefore, staying fit and healthy during pregnancy and eating the right food is very crucial. Avoiding certain food items  too can go a long way in keeping SGPT and SGOT levels in check during pregnancy. Also, do not forget to include exercise to your daily routine, but not without doctor’s consultation.
However, if you have any queries about the high SGPT and SGOT levels in pregnancy and what diet to follow for the same, feel free to contact our personal care team. They will answer all your questions. You can also visit our website HexaHealth to learn more about pregnancy-related information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT)/aspartate transferase is an enzyme that is found in the heart, liver, brain, kidneys, pancreas, muscles, and several tissues in the body. Even though it is present throughout the body, it is mostly linked with liver health. This enzyme is a type of protein that plays the role of a catalyst and permits certain bodily processes to happen. It also helps convert food into energy. 
Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT)/alanine transferase is an enzyme mainly found in the liver. This enzyme aids in converting food into energy and acts as a catalyst which allows certain processes in the body to happen. 
If the SGPT and SGOT levels are high, you may see symptoms such as changes in stool and urine colour, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eye), abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and swelling in arms and legs. 
A high SGPT level in pregnancy may be due to any liver condition such as hemochromatosis, cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver, liver ischemia, or mononucleosis. High SGPT levels may also be due to pancreatitis, muscle trauma, heart attack, use of drugs (alcohol), liver cancer, or hormones.
The normal range of SGPT is 4 to 36 U/L, and the normal range of SGOT is 8 to 22 U/L. 
The elevated level of SGOT is when SGOT exceeds its normal range of 8-22 U/L, and SGPT exceeds its normal range of 4-36 U/L. 
You can begin with a balanced diet, including fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains, nuts, fish, tea, and coffee, and drink plenty of water.  However, talk to your doctor if you have high levels of SGPT and SGOT during pregnancy. 
If an individual has a high SGPT level, they may have symptoms such as:
  1. Dark urine
  2. Light-coloured stool
  3. Stomach pain
  4. Tiredness
  5. Jaundice (yellowing of eye or skin)
  6. Nausea and vomiting
  7. Loss of appetite
One can incorporate the following changes in their lifestyle to lower the SGPT and SGOT levels:
  1. Include a balanced diet such as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, oil, and milk.
  2. Drink plenty of water.
  3. Eat food rich in fibre.
  4. Include fish in your diet. 
  5. Drink beverages such as green tea 
  6. Include nuts in your diet. 
  7. Eat whole grain products (brown rice, oatmeal, barley, millet)
In several women, the SGPT and SGOT levels return to normal after delivery. If a woman still notices the symptoms (jaundice, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain) after improving her lifestyle, then she must consult her doctor.
A healthy diet fulfils the body’s requirement for nutrients like vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. One must include fruits, vegetables, whole grain food products, nuts, fish, pulses, etc., in the diet. These are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients that may help lower the levels of liver enzymes that may be high during pregnancy. 
One must include fibre-rich foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grain food, pulses, nuts etc., to lower the SGOT/SGPT levels. These food products are high in nutrients, fibre, vitamins, antioxidants, etc. that might aid you in lowering SGOT/SGPT levels. 
One must avoid the following foods and drinks if SGOT and SGPT are high during pregnancy:
  1. Aerated fizzy drinks: Regular consumption of fizzy drinks may start to damage the liver and cause obesity and weight gain that eventually affects our liver and increases the possibility of developing a fatty liver condition.
  2. Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol may cause liver disease (acute and chronic). It affects the liver and may cause fatty liver disease, cirrhosis or other diseases.
  3. Processed meat: bacon, hot dogs, salami, beef, and pork have high saturated fats that may damage the liver if consumed for a long time. Therefore, it is suggested by liver transplant surgeons to avoid processed meat.
  4. Fried and baked food: Foods such as fries, chips, muffins, and pastries cause fat build-up in the liver cells, which may result in fatty liver.
  5. Foods containing high salt: Processed and canned foods have high sodium content that causes water retention in the body, and salt is never easy on our liver. Therefore, one must avoid foods containing too much salt.
Yes, a person can drink soy milk if they have high SGPT levels. Dairy products contain proteins such as casein and whey, which might help protect against liver diseases like fatty liver. 
Coconut water contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that help improve liver health by eliminating toxins. It will help to lower the liver enzymes if you have high SGPT and SGOT in pregnancy. However, consult your doctor before consuming coconut water to reduce the high SGPT levels. 

Last Updated on: 3 September 2024

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational and learning purposes only. It doesn't cover every medical condition and might not be relevant to your personal situation. This information isn't medical advice, isn't meant for diagnosing any condition, and shouldn't replace talking to a certified medical or healthcare professional.

Reviewer

Dr. Arti Sharma

Dr. Arti Sharma

MBBS, DNB Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Diploma In Cosmetic Gynaecology

9 Years Experience

Dr Arti Sharma is a well-known Obstetrician and Cosmetic Gynaecologist currently associated with Aesthetica Veda in Bengaluru. She has 9 years of experience in Obstetrics and Cosmetic Gynaecology and worked as an expert Obstetrician...View More

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