Fact Check: Can aloo bukhara and imli cure fatty liver in 2 months?
An Instagram reel claims that aloo bukhara (plums) and imli (tamarind) cures fatty liver in 2 months. The claim is FALSE.
Claim
In an Instagram reel, it is claimed that aloo bukhara and imli cures fatty liver in 2 months. The reel by thekitchenmuse76 is captioned, "Dr. Manish Aacharya’s 2-Ingredient Cure for Fatty Liver!" and it says, "I can tell you a remedy for the liver. Every night, soak two prunes and four tamarind seeds — I mean the material over the seeds, not the seeds themselves. Mash and mix them together. In the morning, eat that mixture and drink water. People’s fatty liver becomes normal in two months — it's a free remedy."
The reel can be accessed here
Fact Check
The claim is FALSE. Although aloo bukhara and imli have health benefits, there is no scientific evidence to support the user’s claim, and while fatty liver can be reversed, it cannot be completely cured.
What is Fatty Liver?
What are the Types of Fatty Liver?
What are the nutritional benefits of Imli?
What are the benefits of Aloo Bukhara?
Aloo Bukhara also known as plum is widely cultivated across temperate regions. Phytochemical studies have identified a rich profile of flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and other bioactive constituents. There are broad therapeutic potential of the fruit, including its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antihyperlipidemic, and anxiolytic activities.
Can aloo bukhara and imli cure fatty liver in 2 months?
There is currently no scientific evidence to support the claim that aloo bukhara (dried plums or prunes) and imli (tamarind) can cure fatty liver disease in 2 months. While both may offer certain health benefits as part of a balanced diet, they are not stand-alone cures for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or other liver conditions. Diet plays a crucial role in both the prevention and management of fatty liver disease. Fatty liver can be reversed but cannot be cured.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing global health concern, and diet plays a crucial role in both its prevention and effective management. A study featured in Advances in Nutrition highlights five key dietary strategies for preventing and managing fatty liver disease. These include following traditional eating patterns such as the Mediterranean diet; cutting down on fructose intake by avoiding processed foods and sugary drinks; substituting saturated fats (SFAs) with healthier fats like polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs)—particularly long-chain omega-3s—and monounsaturated fats (MUFAs); replacing fast food, baked goods, and sweets with fiber-rich, whole foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds; and minimizing alcohol consumption. Enhancing overall diet quality may help delay or slow the development of NAFLD and its associated risks, largely due to the combined effect of these dietary practices.
In addition to dietary strategies, emerging evidence supports the effectiveness of comprehensive lifestyle interventions in managing NAFLD. Tiziana Fernández et. al. found that lifestyle changes are effective in managing NAFLD, with a combination of dietary improvements and physical activity offering greater benefits than either approach alone. This combined strategy led to more significant improvements in liver enzyme levels and HOMA-IR, an indicator of insulin resistance.
While aloo bukhara (plums) and imli (tamarind) may offer certain health benefits, there is no scientific evidence or medical consensus to support the claim made by the user. Diet plays a crucial role in the management and prevention of fatty liver; however, there is no definitive cure for the condition.
Responding to the claim Dr Lohit Shetty Raju, Consultant - HPB and Liver Transplantation Surgery, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road Bengaluru said, "Fatty liver is typically a generalized condition, much like how fat accumulates throughout the body due to a sluggish metabolism or sedentary lifestyle, often linked to obesity from various causes. In such scenarios, fat also begins to deposit in the liver—this marks the earliest stage, transitioning a healthy liver into what is termed "fatty liver." While dry plums (aloo bukhara) and tamarind (imli) are both rich in fiber and antioxidants, there is currently no scientific evidence or peer-reviewed research that supports their direct role in curing fatty liver disease. Dietary fiber, in general, plays a beneficial role in managing cholesterol levels by reducing its reabsorption in the intestines. This can indirectly support liver health, as elevated cholesterol is a contributing factor in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, fatty liver is a multifactorial metabolic condition influenced by obesity, insulin resistance, diet, physical activity, and genetics. Therefore, while fiber-rich foods like aloo bukhara and tamarind may assist in broader dietary strategies to manage fatty liver, they cannot be considered a standalone cure."
Dr Piyush Ranjan, Vice-Chairperson, Institute Of Liver Gastroenterology & Pancreatico Biliary Sciences, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital further said, "Diet is an important part of fatty liver management and it involves calorie reduction and fat control avoiding sugar. Things like taking Alu Bukhara and Imli are just fads."
Medical Dialogues Final Take
The viral claim that aloo bukhara and imli can cure fatty liver in 2 months is unsupported by scientific evidence. While both foods offer nutritional benefits and may contribute to better health, they are not stand-alone treatments or cures. A healthy diet significantly contributes to the prevention and control of fatty liver disease but it cannot cure fatty liver.
Hence, the claim is FALSE.
