Latest news with #CyriacAbbyPhilips
News18
17-07-2025
- Health
- News18
Beyond The Medicine Wars: Why India Needs To Learn From China's Integration Model
Last Updated: India's medical establishment attacks traditional medicine while China embraces it. When chess grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi proudly posted a Doctor's Day photo calling his Ayurvedic family members 'doctors", he unleashed medical establishment fury. Dr Cyriac Abby Philips—the hepatologist known as @theliverdr—disparaged his post, declaring 'none of them are really doctors". This vicious attack perfectly exemplifies the toxic hostility India's medical establishment reserves for traditional medicine. My own X (previously Twitter) battles with Dr Philips revealed the same ugly pattern: an ideological warfare which trumps any real scientific curiosity or enquiry. Here's my honest take: if a loved one had a major accident, I'd rush them to a modern hospital without hesitation. But once past the crisis and into recovery? I'd recommend Ayurvedic healing—yoga, pranayama, aligned diet. For chronic conditions, there's solid research backing Ayurveda's effectiveness. Positing one modality as 'evidence-based medicine" champion and the other as 'pseudoscience" smacks of the quackery the medical establishment accuses others of. Rather than serve patients, or science, it only serves to deny. When I visited China, I was struck by how seamlessly they've woven traditional medicine into their modern healthcare fabric. Walk into any major hospital and you'll find TCM departments running alongside surgical wards. Patients don't see contradiction—many still consider these 'TCM hospitals" even while receiving cutting-edge medical procedures and surgeries. This isn't accidental—it's smart policy. Under Xi Jinping, China has passed 26 policies elevating TCM to 'national treasure" status. The 2017 Traditional Chinese Medicine Law mandated TCM institutions in public hospitals, while the 2016-2030 Strategic Plan allocated 50 billion yuan for development. Ironically, even communist China embraced traditional medicine, while our home grown 'progressives" remain stuck in old dogma. TCM and Ayurveda are sister sciences which share ancient DNA. Both emerged from similar foundations: constitutional medicine (prakriti versus constitution), delicate energy balance (doshas versus qi), sophisticated pulse diagnosis revealing hidden ailments, and natural pharmacology working with the body rather than against it. Both emphasize prevention over cure, viewing health holistically—mind, body, and spirit dancing in harmony. The Silk Road facilitated deep medical knowledge exchange between Indian and Chinese physicians, with documented cross-pollination enriching both traditions. If China can successfully weave traditional medicine into modern healthcare while maintaining scientific standards, India should easily achieve the same with Ayurveda. The double standards are mind-boggling. A Wall Street Journal headline during SARS celebrated how Chinese Medicine—including cow urine—was 'finding new respect in Western medicine". The same substance routinely mocked by India's medical establishment gained international recognition when China's protocols actually worked. Meanwhile, pranayama gets serious study in Western universities, with researchers documenting measurable cardiovascular benefits in peer-reviewed journals. Yet the narrow-minded dogmas of some in India's Medical Establishment, preempts research at home which could help India lead the world in this medical revolution. This intellectual dishonesty crystallised during my exchanges on X (formerly Twitter) with Dr. Philips. When he attacked Giloy using an observational study—hardly gold-standard evidence—I pointed out the obvious: observational studies can't establish causation. Moreover, his study failed to confirm the tested substances were actually Giloy; contamination might have caused the reported liver damage. The contradiction became glaring when in the same post he dismissed Ashwagandha as 'pseudoscientific" despite multiple double-blind RCTs proving its efficacy. A 2019 study in Medicine showed Ashwagandha improved memory and executive function in cognitive impairment patients. A 2020 Journal of Ethnopharmacology study documented significant cortisol reduction and better sleep. These aren't folk tales—they meet modern medicine's exact methodological standards. Dr. Philips' response to actual evidence-based medicine which he claims to champion? He blocked me. What we witnessed was scientific hypocrisy in real-time. Dr Philips rejected rigorous clinical trials while promoting weak observational studies, violated the basic principle that correlation doesn't equal causation, and based sweeping condemnations on uncontrolled case reports from a handful of patients. This represents fundamental abandonment of scientific methodology—ironically, the same unscientific approach he accuses traditional practitioners of having. Here's the uncomfortable truth: modern medicine modalities don't automatically equal 'evidence-based". There's plenty of rigorous evidence for traditional medicine—both validated over millennia and proven by contemporary methods including RCTs. The reactionary approach of some allopathic practitioners makes them more 'dogma-based" than science-based. Dr Philips perfectly exemplifies this ideological pseudo-scientific approach. When ideology trumps evidence, everyone loses—especially patients seeking relief. China's success tells a completely different story. Look beyond Covid headlines and you'll see systematic results across medicine. Their stroke rehabilitation protocols blending Traditional Chinese Medicine with conventional therapy show significantly better outcomes—improved Modified Barthel Index scores and enhanced neurological function versus Western medicine alone. In cardiovascular disease, systematic reviews of 17 RCTs involving 11,726 patients using TCM demonstrated significant improvements across stable angina, myocardial infarction, and coronary artery disease. Diabetes management through integrated protocols achieves glycemic control comparable to standard medications but with fewer dangerous hypoglycemic episodes. In China there are a reported 1.28 billion annual patient visits to TCM institutions, with TCM integrated across all three hospital tiers—from township clinics to major urban centers. This is a results-driven healthcare policy, rather than a religious proclamation about who can be called as a doctor. India's medical establishment desperately needs a reality check. Our medical colleges don't just teach skepticism toward traditional practices—they actively indoctrinate students into derision and superiority. This is ideological programming wearing the medical mask of scientific training. It closes minds to evidence and creates doctors more interested in protecting turf than treating patients. We need China's pragmatic model: rigorous research on traditional treatments using modern standards, stringent quality control for herbal products addressing legitimate safety concerns, integrated training exposing students to both systems, and patient-centered outcomes over academic ego battles. top videos View all The path forward is about choosing real science over ideology, evidence over prejudice, patient welfare over professional ego. We also need to revise laws which empanel these colonial dogmas on who can heal. China proved integration works when approached systematically rather than defensively. India has both ancient wisdom and modern expertise. What we lack is intellectual humility in the medical establishment to acknowledge no single system has all answers and the courage to find the best healing treatments and healthcare practices which serve patients, not the ideology of some doctors. The author is a commentator on Indian policy and society. He can be followed on X @sankrant. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views tags : ayurveda China India view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 07, 2025, 16:20 IST News opinion Opinion | Beyond The Medicine Wars: Why India Needs To Learn From China's Integration Model Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. 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News18
17-07-2025
- Health
- News18
Renewed Attack On Yoga And Ayurveda Stems From Insecurity, Intolerance
Last Updated: The civilisational knowledge and wisdom of thousands of years that have healed generations cannot be simply mocked away It could have been just another of those millions of daily fights on X that one forgets as the river of the social media timeline brings in new flotsam. But it got bigger and bigger, perhaps because an entire civilisation's knowledge and wisdom were attacked and insulted, and a country's medical system was brought into question. Indian chess grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi had written an innocuous Doctors' Day post honouring his family of ayurvedic and homoeopathy doctors. A handle called @theliverdr, a practitioner from Kerala named Cyriac Abby Philips, piped up to say none of them were actual doctors. Cheered on by some others, he called AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha, and homoeopathy) 'pseudo-science". It is fine to criticise Indic medical and wellness systems. But when one repeatedly attacks and summarily dismisses it, one needs to delve into the motives. After all, the civilisational knowledge and wisdom of thousands of years that have healed generations cannot be simply mocked away. First, it betrays the deep insecurity of allopathy, which works on the Western paradigm of modern medicine, towards other medical systems. Many allopathic practitioners take the Abrahamic approach of exclusivity, that only it is the last word and the true cure; all other systems are hocus. While Cyriac Abby Philips denigrates Hindu scientists showing any sign of spiritual belief, netizens posted screenshots from the Rajagiri hospital portal, where he is a senior consultant. The hospital has 'chaplaincy and pastoral services" and its motto 'we care, we cure" is a 'proclamation of our firm commitment to invoke the healing power of God upon the whole person, body and soul". Second, ayurveda and homoeopathy are recognised medical courses in India that one gets into after clearing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET. BAMS, or Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, is an integrated medical degree specially designed to teach students the systems of the traditional Indian ayurveda system. BHMS, or Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery, comprehensively covers aspects of that field. After completing this degree, you become eligible to practice as a doctor in homoeopathy. Western medical institutions have increasingly acknowledged and put to use Indian medical systems. For instance, Gerhard J Newerla, MD, from Albany, New York, writes in The New England Journal of Medicine, 'The first knowledge of testicular function was acquired empirically by the ancients when domestic animals were castrated for various reasons. However, the specific effects in men were also familiar in those early civilisations where eunuchs were part of the social order. Furthermore, The Ayurveda, written by Sushruta of India, written about 1400 BC, recommended the administration of testicular tissues for the cure of impotence." Columbia University credits Sushruta for the earliest plastic surgeries and nose jobs. 'During the 6th Century BCE, an Indian physician named Sushruta—widely regarded in India as the 'father of surgery'—wrote one of the world's earliest works on medicine and surgery. The Sushruta Samhita documented the etiology of more than 1,100 diseases, the use of hundreds of medicinal plants, and instructions for performing scores of surgical procedures—including three types of skin grafts and reconstruction of the nose," its journal says. In his acclaimed book, Saving My Neck: A Doctor's East/West Journey through Cancer, Dr Timothy McCall, MD, wonderfully describes his experience at an ayurvedic doctor's place in Kerala. He says this doctor, Chandukutty, loves taking the cases in which the conventional medical doctors have thrown up their hands. In the first week, Dr McCall shadowed him at his clinic in 2007; he witnessed how a 20-something woman with rheumatoid arthritis slowly started recovering. She was bedridden despite high doses of prednisone and methotrexate, heavy Western meds used to calm her autoimmune condition. At Chandukutty's clinic, after a few massages with medicated oils infused with dozens of herbs, she was up walking with a cane. Within three days, she was walking without one. Dr McCall writes: Rather than looking at an entire organism, a reductionist studies the parts that comprise it. In medicine, for example, the heart is viewed as a collection of parts, each of which is studied in detail. Each of these parts is in turn broken down into its own constituent parts. In the case of the heart, reductionists examine the chambers, the valves, the coronary arteries, and every other part that can be identified. This process continues at ever-finer levels of organization, down to nuclei and mitochondria, hormones and neurotransmitters. Reductionist thinking in medicine has saved millions of lives. Consider antibiotics, insulin, and the polio vaccine—even hand-washing. But, unfortunately, some physicians take a good thing too far. They put so much trust in the power of reductionism that they feel no need to consider the full humanity of their patients. When this attitude is taken to its extreme, the patient is seen as the sum of her lab tests and imaging studies. She becomes little more than a machine, some of whose parts can be fixed, others replaced. After a lifetime immersed in the field, I believe that we as a society have accepted a flawed understanding of health care. Mark Hyman, MD, and then director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, says the 'integrative approach is the future of health care". But in the land where that very integrative approach was born, some practitioners ironically want to choke every ounce of ancient knowledge instead of exploring—in true scientific temperament—what they still do not know or are able to prove accurately with current medical understanding. Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
09-07-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Hepatologist The Liver Doc Calls Vitamin C Supplements "The Most Useless". Here's Why
Do you also pop a vitamin C supplement every day for healthy skin, a stronger body, wound healing, and more? You're not alone. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is widely believed to be an important nutrient that boosts immunity and metabolism. Many studies have promoted vitamin C as one of the beneficial vitamins. However, Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, a hepatologist known as The Liver Doc on social media, disagrees. Are Vitamin Supplements Good For You? Vitamin C plays an important role in your body. From being rich in antioxidant properties to supporting your immune system, vitamin C helps your body in more ways than one. While you can get vitamin C from natural sources, supplements are not the best option. In an Instagram post, Dr Philips warned against "useless" vitamin C supplements. "The most wasteful, absolutely useless dietary supplement that people spend money on, in today's world, is vitamin C," he shared. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Liver Doc (Cyriac Abby Philips) (@theliverdr) Some foods that are rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell peppers, kiwi, broccoli, strawberries, cantaloupe, baked potatoes, and tomatoes. You can get your daily requirement of vitamin C from these foods. However, you can have supplements if your healthcare provider recommends them. Black Coffee May Be Good For You Dr Philips may have recommended against the use of vitamin C supplements, but he suggests that people should include black coffee in their daily routine. In the same post, he wrote, "The most useful, absolutely worthy dietary supplement for habitual use, that people are unnecessarily paranoid about, is black coffee." Black coffee is one of the most popular beverages among people and for the right reasons. When taken plain, without cream, milk, or sweetener, black coffee can be a good addition to a healthy diet. Studies have found that black coffee is good for your brain health, cardiovascular health, liver health, and a reduced risk of certain diseases. However, nothing is healthy in excess. It is recommended to drink black coffee in moderation to avoid complications. You should also talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet.
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Hepatologist reveals 'most useless supplement' people waste money on and 1 'absolutely worthy' one to try instead
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, plays a role in many vital functions, including metabolism and immunity. While some might view vitamin C supplements as necessary, Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, a hepatologist known as The Liver Doc on social media, has a different opinion. Also read | Hepatologist reveals most dangerous supplement for your liver Do you actually need vitamin C dietary supplements? Here's what a doctor said. (Freepik) Are vitamin C supplements actually beneficial? Supplements might benefit people with restrictive diets or limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. However, in an Instagram post on July 7, Dr Philips warned against 'useless' vitamin C dietary supplements. He said, 'The most wasteful, absolutely useless dietary supplement that people spend money on, in today's world, is vitamin C.' A balanced diet typically provides sufficient vitamin C. However, supplements might be beneficial for specific individuals, so it's essential to consult a healthcare professional before adding any supplements to your routine. If you want to know the top 5 benefits of vitamin C, including collagen production, and how to include it in your daily routine, click here. To know 10 foods that can naturally help increase the intake of vitamin C in your body, click here. Incorporate black coffee into your routine Interestingly, according to Dr Philips, instead of taking 'wasteful' vitamin C supplements, black coffee can be a great addition to your daily routine, offering several benefits. He said in the same Instagram post, 'The most useful, absolutely worthy dietary supplement for habitual use, that people are unnecessarily paranoid about, is black coffee.' While the caffeine in black coffee is often associated with an energy boost, it is also enriched with several health benefits. In a July 6 interview with HT Lifestyle, gastroenterologist Dr Meghraj Ingle shared that black coffee provides essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12, B5, B1, folate, potassium, and magnesium. If you're new to black coffee, start with a small amount and gradually increase as needed. 'Drinking 2–3 cups of plain, filtered coffee a day is ideal. Avoid instant coffee or sugary drinks like frappes, which offer little benefit for the liver. Also, make sure your coffee is made with clean water and brewed the same way each time,' he said. So, pay attention to how your body reacts to black coffee and adjust your consumption accordingly. 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.
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Business Standard
04-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
'None of them are really doctors': Liver Doc takes on Vidit Gujrathi on X
Indian Chess Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi finds himself at the centre of a social media storm after a seemingly innocent Doctor's Day post triggered a fiery exchange with anti-ayurveda crusader Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, better known online as the 'Liver Doc.' What started as a heartfelt tribute — a family selfie captioned 'Happy Doctor's Day to my entire family' — quickly spiralled into controversy. When a user asked about his family's medical background, Vidit replied that his father is an Ayurvedic migraine specialist, his wife holds an MD in homeopathy, his mother practices cosmetology, and his sister is a physiotherapist. But the Liver Doc wasted no time in firing back, bluntly declaring, 'I'm sorry, but none of them are really doctors,' dismissing the qualifications as unscientific or pseudoscientific. The remark drew backlash — and Vidit, usually reserved, hit back sharply: 'Stay in your lane and try being useful.' The digital clash has since stirred debate across the platform, pitting advocates of traditional medicine against voices from modern science, with Gujrathi's post becoming the unexpected battleground. A user replied to Vidit, saying 'you are an influential figure, so you have the responsibility not to spread misinformation. Doctor's day on July 1st is celebrated for Doctors of medical science. Not homeopaths, not ayurvedics or any other professions that have nothing to do with medicine. So educate yourself and be responsible instead of feeling personally attacked by someone for just pointing out that they are not indeed real doctors.' For the past five years, Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips — a hepatologist and clinical researcher from Kerala — has been on a mission: treating patients harmed by the misuse of alternative medicines. Since 2019, he's taken that fight online, using his Twitter handle @theliverdr to launch sharp, data-driven takedowns of Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Siddha, and Unani systems. His posts often go viral, earning him both praise from science advocates and criticism from supporters of traditional medicine — making him one of the most polarising voices in India's healthcare debate. Hot battle: Modern medicine Vs Ayurveda The clash between modern medicine and traditional systems like Ayurveda has been brewing for years — and this latest exchange has only poured fuel on the fire. As his back-and-forth with Vidit Gujrathi escalated, Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips doubled down on his stance, writing on X: 'Your statement on Doctors' Day claiming an Ayurveda practitioner, homeopath, cosmetologist and physiotherapist were doctors is wrong, and I stand by my words.' 'Doctors' Day in India marks both the birth and death anniversary of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, one of India's most revered physicians and a key figure in shaping the healthcare system,' he added. 'Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Cosmetology or Physiotherapy are not realistic clinical medicine or and their practitioners are not clinical physicians.' Supporters of modern medicine quickly rallied behind him. One user praised his boldness: 'Salute to you, Doctor, for fearlessly exposing the fraudulent practices carried out in the name of medicine. Your courage and integrity are a true service to humanity.' One more went, 'I have the deepest respect and awe for ppl who are good at chess bcoz I'm not. But sorry, Ayurveda Homoeopathy etc are quackery and dangerous. People are often healed there because many illnesses are self limiting & also due to placebo effect.' The defenders of Ayurveda didn't hold back either. One user confronted the Liver Doc, saying 'Though I respect your contribution to society but who are you talking negative about Ayurveda ? This is not so mature of you Doctor. There is a whole government department called AYUSH propagating Ayurveda. The Ayurveda industry is a 20 billion USD market . Ayurveda was born 5000 years ago. The user continued, 'There is Hindu god called Dhawantri of Ayurveda. Doctors basically are called healers. So anybody helping in healing gets that badge. I don't know about other branches but Ayurveda, Homeopathy & physiotherapy are definitely healers.'
