After Samantha, Nayanthara under fire from The Liver Doc for 'promoting' hibiscus tea

    The Liver Doc, who famously debunks health posts promoted by celebrities, has now rebuked Nayanthara's hibiscus tea post. 

    Nayanthara Faces Backlash from The Liver Doc

    Nayanthara Faces Backlash from The Liver Doc

    Social media’s newest science expert and hepatologist, Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as The Liver Doc, has been in the news for debunking alternative medical theories and supporting his claims with scientific information. The hepatologist made headlines recently for engaging in an online altercation with actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who suggested that her followers inhale hydrogen peroxide to prevent and treat respiratory viral infections.  

    The latest celebrity to come under fire is none other than Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal co-star and lady superstar, Nayanthara. 

    Nayanthara's IG post

    What was Nayanthara’s post about?

    In a now-deleted social media post discussing the supposed benefits of drinking hibiscus tea, actress Nayanthara recommended celebrity nutritionist Munmun Ganeriwal's health expertise and shared, “This has to be my most favorite tea and the most exciting one in the meal plan curated by the genius @munmun.ganeriwal. It has long been used in Ayurveda. It is high in antioxidants and is helpful in diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart-related ailments. It is very cooling for the system, hence it is great for those who have acne, heat boils on the skin, etc.” 

    She also added that the particular drink is ‘great’ for monsoon as it is rich in vitamins to fight against seasonal infections or illnesses. 

    Nayanthara’s post catches the attention of The Liver Doc

    However, this post backfired when it caught the attention of The Liver Doc, who rebuked the actress’ medical claims. On his X page, the hepatologist shared the post and criticized ‘the influenza’ misleading information. He wrote, “If she had stopped at ‘hibiscus tea is kind of tasty,’ that would have been okay. But no, they have to go ahead and blow their health-illiteracy trumpet and also claim that hibiscus tea is helpful for diabetes, high blood pressure, acne, antibacterial properties, and protects against the flu. Well, none of these claims have been proven.” 

    He went on to back his claims with his medical knowledge. He also raised concerns about the daily dosage of hibiscus tea for men and women, and strongly discouraged individuals in reproductive age groups from consuming hibiscus tea regularly due to “insufficient evidence on its safety.” 

    Calling Ayurveda ‘pseudoscientific garbage,’ he urged others to follow ‘real doctors’ advice for improving health.’ 

    Nayanthara, who has now deleted the post, has been receiving flak from netizens for promoting medical diets, without proper research or scientific backing.