Comments on: Dietary protein, serum albumin and health

By: ken Seaton

ken Seaton — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:27:23 +0000

High serum albumin is the bellwether of health and it is linked to inflammation not a valid test of diet. As inflammation rises albumin falls. High serum albumin cleans the brain of toxic amyloid deposits.

By: Clayton Secord

Clayton Secord — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:01:00 +0000

in addition to the above reply,i must add that the physicins now wants to do biopsies of the liver and remove nine inches of my small intestine, because according to them, i been also diagnosed with CARCINOSIS OF THE SMALL BOWEL.I refuse the surgery.

By: Clayton Secord

Clayton Secord — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:52:54 +0000

THANK YOU FOR TAKING INTEREST IN THIS SUBJECT.

I AM 80 YEARS OLD MALE WHICH SUFFERS FROM “CELIAC SPRUCE”. I HAVE LOST 6O LBS IN A YEAR. I ALSO HAVE ASCITES VERY BAD. I NEVER CONSUMED ALCOHOL,BUT WAS SLIGHTLY EXPOSED TO AGENT ORANGE WHILE IN THE ARMY. IN ADDITION TO THIS I ALSO BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH “SGO GREN SYNDROME. I HAVE EDEMA OF THE LEGS AND ALSO SUFFER FROM CRONIC DIARREAH AND ANEMIA.

By: Jade

Jade — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 04:12:06 +0000

Since albumin transports insoluble bilirubin to the liver for removal, thus preventing jaundice: could a pregnant woman eating a high protein diet especially during the last trimester of pregnancy potentially decrease the likelihood of her baby developing jaundice?

Likewise, could a breastfeeding mom of a baby with jaundice help her baby to clear away excess bilirubin by increasing the protein in her diet?

By: Gery

Gery — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:13:26 +0000

Hi Doc, I have had iron overload for 25+ years and it was only recently diagnosed…after it did considerable damage to my liver…ascites, micro-nodular cirrhosis…to the point where I now have a TIPS installed. I am doing remarkably well but my albumin is still at 0.9. Yes, you saw that right. I take lactulose to mitigate any hepatic encypholophy (none has occurred) and spronolactone (diuretic) for edema. It was bad for a while until the TIPS was installed but I have gained my weight back and muscle mass. I can’t determine if I am carrying around excess weight in my thighs as water or fat at the moment…

In any case as I understand it the lactulose ‘interrupts’ the protein breakdown in the gut so that ammonia is not produced to prevent the hepatic encypholophy. But wouldn’t this affect the amount of protein being made available to the liver to manufacture albumin? It has been almost 2 years since the TIPS was installed. AST is still elevated even though I have taken milk thistle and Liv52 to help protect the liver…I do phelobotomies approximately every 6 weeks to get the iron out…my Doctor allows the hemoglobin to be as low as 10.5 to take blood out. Trying to stay away from all red meats and other high iron content foods…

I may have low protein intake because of lactulose but I have built muscle mass back…

So I don’t know what to think or do to help the albumin go up. Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks…

By: mreades

mreades — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:01:48 +0000

Since you’re not my patient, and I don’t know your medical or dietary history, I don’t have a clue.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:59:36 +0000

Hi. My 4th lab results in about 10 months came back. And my bilirubin went from 1.4 to 1.5 to 1.1 to 1.3, total protein went from 7.4 to 7.9 to 7.9 to 8.5, and finally my albumin went from 4.9 to 5.0 to 5.0 to 5.6, which was out of range, as all of these levels are either at the upper end of the scale, or slightly elevated. Since these three seem vaguely connected- what’s going on here, and why, over the course of almost a year, are they slightly increasing? I’m a 33 year old male, not overweight, decent amount of exercise…

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:59:54 +0000

I don’t really understand, I am sorry for that.

I had nearly seven litres of fluid drained from my tummy and had two infusions of Albumin (night have wrong spelling sorry)

But I am swelling up like a ballon.

can you in simply terms please explain what albumin is / does please

By: Desmondo

Desmondo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:28:49 +0000

Hi Mike,

I wonder did the dread Convention Unit(US) vs SI Unit (EUR) gremlin strike in one of the comments above.

I noticed Seb quote 50 g/l which I read as g/L (SI) not Conventional g/dL.

The reference levels i have from TDL lab in London are: Albumin g/L ( 34 – 50 ) SI
and hence Albumin g/dL ( 3.4 – 5. ) Conventional

I have printed out “SI units for Clinical Dat”a which gives Conversion factors (Conventional – SI) for Acetominophen to Zinc. I refer to these 5 plus pages quite regularly. The source is JAMA Author Instructions on http://www.unc.edu Reference Rowlett.

Regards
Desmondo

By: Joan McComb

Joan McComb — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:49:46 +0000

Hi: I have been diagnosed as having Bisalbuminemia. My Dr. has never heard of it and I can’t find info on it. What should be in or not in my diet. I also have type 2 diabetes which I control strictly with diet and exercise. Could you help me out? Thanks Joan

Bisalbuminemia is a genetic oddity (like having one brown eye and one blue one) without any health consequences.