Liver Doc slams Zerodha co-founder for his comments promoting alcohol myths

Liver Doc slams Zerodha co-founder for glamorising alcohol industry as beneficial healthcare. He also highlights his daily experience treating alcohol health issues

Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as 'The Liver Doc' on social media, raised objections against Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s comments on X over a widely populated podcast featuring Abhishek Khaitan, Minakshi Singh, Shuchir Suri, and Suraj Shenai, where Kamath was seen discussing India's liquor industry.

Abby accused Kamath of glorifying the alcohol business by likening it to beneficial healthcare practices.

The Kerala-based doctor criticised Kamath for glorifying alcohol consumption which often leads to stroke, cancer, liver diseases and even mental health disorders. 

He emphasised his daily experience with treating patients related to alcohol use disorders and acute liver diseases. In his note, "The Liver Doc wrote, “So far so good. Alcohol is a good business, a business that leeches out others' lives. It rakes in money for governments through taxation & monopoly; and fattens the bank accounts of those behind the industry (like this round table group) and makes barons out of those who sell well.”

‘Moderate Drinking is good’ is a myth

The Liver doctor criticised Kamath and others who set the notion that moderate consumption of alcohol is good. In his long post, he said that these businessmen glorify their alcohol business equating it to good healthcare intervention, which is health misinformation. 

"Which is why, I have to keep discussing this absolutely garbage myth that ‘alcohol in moderation is good for you’ and the absolute nonsense disclaimer to support that myth, which they call ‘drink responsibly... To claim drinking alcohol in moderation is good, is actually a crime,” Dr Philips asserted.

In the podcast, Abhishek Khaitan, MD of Radico Khaitan, mentioned that countries have banned alcohol leading to the shambles of their economy. "Drinking alcohol in moderation is very good," he added. Kamath also revealed that he had bought 1.6-1.7 per cent of Radico's stock worth Rs 400 crore,

In response to Khaitan's comment, Dr Philips explained that there is no safe level of alcohol that is good for human health. While giving a detailed explanation, the Kerala-based doctor mentioned on X that  "No amount of alcohol is safe because it is not just a liver poison, it is systemic poison. It gets to every part of your body. Even single to lowest exposure can wreck your DNA and promote cancer formation." 

The Liver Doc earlier criticised Samantha Ruth Prabhu

He earlier criticised actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu, for advocating unproven medical practices, highlighting the counter-health and scientific illiteracy in public discourse.

Nikhil hasn't responded to Liver Doc's post yet.