From beetroot juice to lemon water: Top Harvard doctor ranks best and worst drinks for liver health

Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist trained at Harvard and Stanford, has become quite popular on social media these days. The top Harvard doctor recently shared a video on Instagram, wherein he ranked nine common beverages based on their impact on liver health on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the best). His expert views sheds light on which drinks truly support liver function— and which ones, that are otherwise considered good for the health, might be silently damaging the liver.

“As a gut and liver specialist, I’m often asked which drinks are truly safe. In this video, I’ve ranked everything from coffee and fruit juice to energy drinks. You’ll be surprised—one drink many consider healthy actually does more harm than good,” Dr. Sethi said.

From beetroot juice to lemon water, the top Harvard doctor ranks nine best and worst drinks for liver health. Read on to know which are they (arranged in order of worst to best):

1. Store-bought fruit juice: 1/10
2. Sweetened tea: 2/10
3. Freshly squeezed fruit juice: 4/10
4. Green smoothies: 5/10
5. Lemon water: 6/10
6. Beetroot juice: 7/10
7. Unsweetened vegetable juice: 8/10
8. Black coffee: 9/10
9. Water: 10/10

Dr. Sethi ranked the 9 popular drinks for liver health on a scale of 1 to 10. Water topped the list with a perfect 10, followed closely by black coffee (9/10) and unsweetened vegetable juice (8/10). Beetroot juice scored 7/10, while lemon water got 6/10. Green smoothies and freshly squeezed fruit juice earned moderate scores of 5/10 and 4/10 respectively. However, sweetened tea (2/10) and store-bought fruit juice (1/10) were ranked the worst due to their high sugar content and potential harm to the liver. This ranking shows the importance of natural, unsweetened beverages for liver health.

A good liver health is important for one's overall well-being, as the liver performs over 500 vital functions in the body. It helps filter toxins from the blood, aids in digestion by producing bile, regulates blood sugar levels, stores essential nutrients, and breaks down fats, alcohol, and medications. A healthy liver ensures that your body processes what you consume and keeps harmful substances at bay efficiently. Meanwhile, poor liver health can lead to fatigue, digestion issues, hormonal imbalances, and serious conditions like fatty liver disease or cirrhosis in the long run. And so, it is important to take care of your liver through a balanced diet, hydration, and limiting your alcohol or sugar intake.

Fatty liver disease happens when excess fat builds up in the liver, thus affecting its proper function. It is often linked to poor diet, obesity, lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol or sugar intake. There are two types of fatty liver disease: alcoholic fatty liver disease (due to heavy drinking) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is more common today. NAFLD is now considered a major lifestyle disease due to rising sedentary habits, having too much of junk and processed food, and increasing rates of diabetes and obesity. When left untreated, fatty liver can lead to inflammation, liver damage, or even cirrhosis in the long run. But the good part is that when detected early-on, one can reverse it by making healthier lifestyle changes like having nutritious meals, quitting sugar and alchohol, exercising and losing weight.

Needless to say, alcohol is terrible for your liver