Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist and ‘Harvard and Stanford trained expert’, took to Instagram on June 28 to rank ’10 common beverages for their benefit on liver health on a scale of 1-10′ (10 is the best)’. According to him, water, excellent for hydration and flushing out toxins, is a 10 on 10, while store-bought fruit juice, often high in added sugars and preservatives, potentially harm liver health. Also read | Harvard uni’s liver specialist ranks 10 foods for fatty liver on a scale of 1 to 10: Ripe bananas to green tea Beetroot juice has been shown to reduce inflammation, which can benefit liver health. (Freepik)

‘One popular drink does more harm than good’

Dr Sethi said, “As a gut and liver specialist, I get this question a lot: which drinks are safe for liver health — and which ones are silently damaging it? In this video, I’m ranking 10 of the most common beverages — including fruit juices, coffee, energy drinks, and more — on a scale of 1 to 10, based on how they affect your liver. Some of these may surprise you. One popular ‘healthy’ drink actually does more harm than good. Watch till the end to find out which one got a perfect 10 — and which ones I personally avoid.”

Drinks rated for liver health benefits

Here is Dr Sethi’s rating:

⦿ Green smoothies: 5/10

⦿ Freshly squeezed fruit juice: 4/10

⦿ Beetroot juice: 7/10

⦿ Unsweetened vegetable juice: 8/10

⦿ Lemon water: 6/10

⦿ Sweetened tea: 2/10

⦿ Black coffee: 9/10

⦿ Store-bought fruit juice: 1/10

⦿ Water: 10/10

In an earlier Instagram post, Dr Sethi had also ranked 10 foods for the gut-brain axis on a scale of 1 to 10 ‘based on how they impact your gut-brain connection, mental clarity, mood, focus, and stress response’. Click here to know how good foods like avocado, granola bars and others actually are for your health.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.