Liver Disease May be Caused By Pollution
Posted by drlam on June 16, 2009
New research has shown that around 30% of all US adults have symptoms of liver disease not linked to alcohol misuse or viral hepatitis. The signs, measured through elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, are thought to be caused by environmental pollution and pesticide consumption.
Food consumption is the main pathway of getting pollutants into the body. Once settled in the body, they are very hard to be metabolized out. ALT is the enzyme that your liver manufactures that helps in digesting and metabolizing specific amino acids. When ALT levels are elevated, it indicates liver damage (injury or inflamed like in hepatitis).
The American Liver Foundation has shown that chronic liver disease is top tenth source of death in America, concluding in around $10 billion annual healthcare costs.
Source: http://www.drlam.com/news/news00113-Liver_Disease_May_be_Caused_By_Pollution.asp
