The Liver Doc reacts to Sonali Bendre’s claim that her 18-hour intermittent fasting prevented resurgence of cancer: ‘Your cancer went into remission after…’

Cyriac Abby Philips aka The Liver Doc has built quite a reputation for arguing with celebrities for promoting ‘questionable’ solutions to health problems. After his much public rows with stars such as Nayanthara and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, The Liver Doc, recently got into a spat with Bollywood star Sonali Bendre, who claimed that intermittent fasting helped prevent resurgence of her cancer.

A few months ago, the ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ star credited a 18-to-20-hour intermittent fasting routine, suggested by a naturopath practitioner, enabled long term recovery and played a role in recurrence of cancer. At the same time, she made it clear that she was only recounting her own experience and was not recommending the approach as a medical treatment or professional health guidance.

Autophagy is a naturally occurring biological process through which the body removes and recycles damaged cellular material. During this mechanism, cells break down defective proteins, worn-out structures, and other unnecessary components, allowing them to be reused for maintenance and normal cellular function. Scientists regard autophagy as an essential part of maintaining healthy cells and responding to periods of nutrient shortage.


However, the hepatologist quickly denounced her claims, calling naturopathy “quackery,” on X.

He argued that naturopathy makes sweeping promises without reliable scientific proof and described it as a pseudoscientific practice. According to him, Sonali Bendre achieved remission because she received established medical treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery rather than alternative healing methods.

The doctor further warned that unverified cancer therapies marketed under naturopathy can place patients at significant risk. He stated that many individuals have reportedly suffered financial exploitation and, in some instances, physical harm after postponing or refusing evidence-based treatment in favour of unsupported alternative approaches. In his view, encouraging such practices can have serious consequences for people battling life-threatening illnesses.

Experts explain that autophagy functions as the body's internal recycling mechanism. When nutrients become limited, cells conserve energy by breaking down damaged or unnecessary cellular components and reusing them for survival. Although this biological response is important for maintaining cellular balance, researchers caution against exaggerating its medical significance.

“The reality is far more complex: cancer cells actually exploit autophagy to survive harsh conditions like chemotherapy and low oxygen, meaning that triggering autophagy could theoretically help tumours survive rather than eliminate them. This oversimplified "detox" narrative preys on vulnerable cancer patients by promising miraculous results from fasting regimens while potentially delaying proven treatments, ignoring that the relationship between autophagy and cancer is highly context-dependent and still being researched…” he wrote on X in a viral post.