There is no safe level of alcohol consumption

No other poison enjoys the status that alcohol has with humankind, but the risks far outweigh any benefits.

A few weeks ago, a stable cirrhosis patient asked me this question in my outpatient office. He was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-related cirrhosis without any liver-associated complications.

“Sir, is it ok if I have a couple of drinks every other week?”

Now that he was confident that his liver functions were normal, he wanted to be sure.

“Imagine I am a police officer, and you are at my station,” I told him. “Would you ask me if you could stab but not kill someone every other year? Or would you ask a traffic police officer if you could …

Author

Cyriac Abby Philips

Cyriac Abby Philips is a highly cited, acclaimed and award-winning liver disease specialist and clinician-scientist based at The Liver Institute, Rajagiri Hospital, Kochi. His seminal research includes the introduction of healthy donor stool transplant for patients battling severe alcohol-related liver disease. He has also authored disruptive peer-reviewed publications on Ayush-related liver injury and herbal and dietary supplements.

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