Indian doctor compares livers of ‘weekend only drink’ man and his healthy wife: ‘Alcohol is a poison’

Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, an Indian hepatologist, shared a photo comparing two livers - one from a regular alcohol drinker and the other from a teetotaller.

Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, known as “The Liver Doc” on the internet, effectively raises awareness about the dangers of alcohol consumption through his posts on social media. In one striking example, he shared a powerful comparison of two livers: one belonging to a person who regularly consumes alcohol and the other to a non-drinker. His post has sparked conversations about the often-overlooked health risks associated with alcohol consumption.

Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, the Indian doctor who shared his post on the effects of alcohol consumption on the liver. (File Photo, X@theliverdr)

“Hello. Just wanted to show the inside of the liver of a 32 year old, ‘weekends only’ alcohol drinking man, and the healthy donor liver of his wife, that he received, that will help him survive to see their little daughter grow up,” the hepatologist wrote, sharing a picture. In the photo, the wife's liver appears pink and healthy, a stark contrast to the liver of the drinker, which seems to be spotted and dark in colour.

Take a look at the post here:

A post comparing two livers, shared by The Liver Doctor. (X/@theliverdr)

Social media had a lot to say:

The post quickly went viral, prompting various comments from people. An individual wrote, “Looking at the organ, seems he was lying with her family & doctors, he seems completely alcoholic for the entire week.” The doctor replied, “You won't understand. Keep feeding your confirmation biases. Sometimes experience is a great teacher.”

Another person expressed, “Alcohol is a poison. Period. Your liver works overtime to process it, and when you binge—even if it’s ‘just on weekends’—you’re overwhelming it. Over time, this leads to fatty liver, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventually liver failure. And guess what? By the time you feel the symptoms, it’s already too late. This man didn’t just wake up one day with a failing liver. He spent years slowly killing it, one drink at a time, while probably telling himself, ‘It’s not that bad.’”

A third commented, “This photo should be on top of every alcohol bottle.” A fourth said, “I'm a bi-monthly drinker, and I'm too scared now.”

The Liver Doc actively uses social media to bust myths about health-related misinformation by people. Recently, he made headlines for calling out actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu, football star Cristiano Ronald, billionaire Nikhil Kamath, and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu for their specific posts.