World Liver Day: Heal with every meal for a healthy liver

With liver diseases becoming increasingly prevalent, doctors and public health experts are stressing the importance of a comprehensive national policy focused on liver health. They called for clear dietary guidelines on what to eat and avoid. These recommendat ions are in line with this year’s World Liver Day theme: Food is Medicine.
Doctors argue that India should adopt liver-specific nutritional policies similar to those in countries like the US and Canada, where gut health is a major public health concern. Some sources say that the Centre may soon introduce such policy.

Currently, India follows the ‘Plate’ method, a national nutrition formula. This model recommends that half of one’s plate should consist of fruits and vegetables, with the remaining half divided among cereals or millets, pulses and diary products such as milk or curd.
Avula Laxmaiah, a former senior scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition, highlighted the saying, “Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’, which is often attributed to Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine. He stressed the growing relevance of this principle, particularly with the rising incidence of liver diseases. “Gut health primarily depends on what we eat,” he said.
Dr Srujan Kumar D, a consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist at KIMS, Gachibowli, warned against the increasing consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods. “These food habits are leading to a spike in liver and gut-related issues,” he said.
He also cautioned against the widespread misinformation found online. “Many people follow harmful dietary practices in the name of liver health, without any scientific basis. This often leads to health complications,” he said.
Subodh Kandamuthan, director of the Kakarla SubAdministrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, stressed the importance of widesp read awareness. “Liver health education should reach all sections of society as part of a major public health initiative,” he said.