Alcohol has the reputation of harming the liver and causing serious illness. However, how much truth is in it? In an interview with ANI, Insta-popular gastroenterologist Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin explained why alcohol is the socially accepted poison. The doctor set his opinion straight away in the initial part of the question – no amount of alcohol is safe for the liver. He added that when we drink alcohol, we directly harm the liver and make it susceptible to diseases.

But what about other doctors saying that a small amount of alcohol is healthy?

Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin laughed it off and said that we may always find doctors who say that a little amount of alcohol is fine, but that’s not true. He quoted the World Health Organisation and mentioned that the WHO says – no alcohol, in any amount, is harmless.

How does alcohol affect the liver?

Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin explained that unlike the other foods which when consumed get absorbed by the intestine, alcohol gets absorbed by the stomach instead. This makes the alcohol faster to be absorbed by the liver. Hence, alcohol can have a direct impact on the liver health.

What happens when we consume fatty foods with alcohol?

Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin addressed a common notion that states that when we consume alcohol with fatty foods, it balances the harm caused to the body. However, according to the doctor, fatty foods can also deposit fat in the liver, while alcohol causes serious liver damage. Hence, consuming fats with alcohol simultaneously is more harmful.

Does fat and alcohol affect liver in different ways?

Dr Shiv Kumar sarin said that in one gram of sugar, there are four calories, while in alcohol there are seven calories per gram – which is almost double of sugar. Hence, consuming them together is lethal for the body, and most importantly, for liver health.

Read Also: Paracetamol most harmful for liver? Doctor explains how much is too much