The Liver Doc Criticises Sonali Bendre's Claim In Naturopathy Curing Cancer, Says 'Expected Better From You'

Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre has long been celebrated as a resilient cancer survivor, someone whose journey has offered strength and hope to thousands. But a recent social media post by the actress, where she credited naturopathy and autophagy as a major part of her healing,has triggered a fierce debate online.

The post drew sharp criticism from well-known hepatologist Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, better known as The Liver Doc, who accused her of unintentionally promoting “quackery.”

What Sonali Bendre said

Recalling her battle with metastatic cancer in 2018, Sonali shared on X (formerly Twitter) that naturopathy and the process of autophagy were central to her recovery.

She wrote, "In 2018, when I was diagnosed with cancer, this study really helped me. My naturopath introduced me to it, I researched it, and this is what I followed – autophagy for healing. And I continue to follow it till date.

Her post quickly went viral, drawing thousands of reactions and one of the strongest coming from The Liver Doc himself.

Check out her post below:

The Liver Doc speaks out

Dr. Philips, known for calling out pseudoscientific medical claims, took direct issue with Sonali's comments due to her influence as a public figure.

In a long and detailed explanation on X, he expressed disappointment, writing: "Dear Ms. Bendre, as a clinician sub-specialist treating a multitude of cancer patients daily, I expected better from you. Cancer-survivors, especially celebrity cancer-survivors are an important asset/ resource for cancer patients and their families when it comes to science based, rationalistic and logical therapeutic journeys which help improve outlook towards cancer diagnosis, care and prevention. You are not helping here, by promoting quackery."

Dr. Philips also reiterated that Sonali’s remission came from evidence-based treatment, not naturopathy. She had stage 4 metastatic endometrial cancer and travelled to New York for aggressive care, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. This medical regimen led to her being declared cancer-free in 2019, he stated.

He emphasised, "I repeat, your cancer went into remission after chemotherapy, radiation and surgery at an advanced cancer treatment hospital. Not because of Naturopathy. Not because of autophagy. Because you have the option (and privilege) to opt for the best treatments from scientific practice to help you."

In his detailed post, Dr. Philips described naturopathy as “quackery”, highlighting fraud cases where vulnerable cancer patients were misled into delaying effective treatment. He referenced FDA warnings, bans in several countries, and even cited former naturopath Britt Marie Hermes, who now calls the field “witchcraft.”

To counter oversimplified claims about autophagy “curing” cancer, he broke down the science: "Autophagy is a normal physiological process. It happens normally inside you whether you want it or not. Autophagy is simply your cells' recycling system - when nutrients are scarce, cells break down and reuse damaged or unnecessary components to survive."

He continued, "While this process is important for normal cellular health, naturopaths and fasting promoters dangerously misrepresent it by claiming that fasting "activates autophagy" to prevent or cure cancer, despite no credible human evidence supporting this."

Ending the thread, he urged Sonali and her followers: "Ditch that Naturopath and these quack principles, and start embracing real scientific medicine. I wish you the best in your journey forward as an ally in fighting cancer, for patients and their family. And for doctors who work hard to improve cancer patients lives."