What is the significance of a diet consisting of approximately 2-3 pounds of meat per day, primarily heart, tuna, and salmon, along with high fat intake from nuts, seeds, and avocado oil, on laboratory results showing vitamin D deficiency, elevated aspartate transaminase (AST) of 45, and elevated alkaline phosphatase (Alk phos) of 107?

From the Guidelines

I strongly recommend adjusting your diet to include more plant-based foods, such as legumes, vegetables, and fruits, and reducing your meat consumption to 2-3 times a week, as excessive animal protein and fat can stress the liver and contribute to vitamin deficiencies. I also advise taking a vitamin D supplement of 1000-2000 IU daily to address your low vitamin D levels and elevated liver enzymes (AST and alkaline phosphatase), as vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with liver disease and can be treated with oral supplementation until reaching a serum vitamin D level above 30 ng/ml 1.

From the Research

Diet and Exercise Habits

• Your current diet, which is nearly carnivorous and consists of a high intake of meat (2-3lbs per day) and fats from nuts, seeds, and avocado oil, may be relevant to your recent test results, including low vitamin D levels and elevated AST and Alk phos levels.
• Studies have shown that vitamin D supplementation can improve markers of liver function, including AST and Alk phos, in individuals with abnormal liver function tests 2, 3, 4, and that there may be a correlation between vitamin D levels and Alk phos levels 5, although another study found no correlation between serum vitamin D levels and serum alkaline phosphatase levels 6.