Flaxseed oil is a supplement that can be used to improve your health. If you are taking flaxseed oil and your doctor notes that you have elevated liver enzymes, it could be a sign that there is a problem with your liver. Although it is unlikely that flaxseed oil could increase your liver enzymes, you should still tell your doctor about all supplements that you take.
What Is Flaxseed Oil?
Flaxseed oil is derived from the seeds of the flax plant. The oil in these seeds is rich in a kind of fat known as omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are fats that your body cannot make on its own but play an important role in maintaining your health. You can take flaxseed oil to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Flaxseed oil is also used to treat Sjogren's syndrome.
Elevated Liver Enzymes
Your liver makes many different proteins, including the enzymes alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase, often abbreviated as ALT and AST. If the levels of these enzymes in your body are abnormally high, it can be a sign that there is something wrong with your liver that is causing it to lose these enzymes into the bloodstream. If you have elevated liver enzymes, the enzyme levels may go down on their own, but your doctor will need to work with you to determine if you have a chronic or acute liver problem.
Flaxseed Oil and Liver Enzymes
Some medications and supplements can affect your liver and result in elevated liver enzymes. However, liver toxicity or elevated liver enzymes is not a listed side effects of flaxseed oil. This does not mean that flaxseed oil absolutely cannot cause elevated liver enzymes, just that it is not commonly associated with liver problems. If a blood tests reveals elevated liver enzymes, you will need to work with your doctor to determine what is causing the elevated enzyme levels.
Considerations
Although flaxseed oil is generally safe and does no appear to affect your liver function, you should still tell your doctor if you are taking this or any other supplement. Flaxseed oil can interact with some medications and enhance or decrease their effectiveness and side effects, so it is important for your doctor to know what supplements you take.
