‘Scientific illiteracy boom…’: Liver Doc slams Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu for backing Gomutra’s claims

Liver specialist and physician-scientist Dr Cyriac Abbey Phillips, popularly known as the ‘liver doctor’ on social media, has slammed Zoho co-founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu for supporting IIT Madras director Professor V Kamakoti, who recently highlighted the medical benefits of cow urine (gomutra).

In a post on ox Are you making a fool of yourself?

“As a man of influence, spread valuable information on how we as a society can progress through science and the scientific method, instead of peddling old nonsense, fad cures and amplifying fools who are misinforming, like the IIT Madras professor,” Liver Doc said. Highlighting Zoho’s CEO’s role in influencing public opinion.

Vembu defended Kamakoti, asserting that those who mock cow urine fail to understand cutting-edge scientific viewpoints. Drawing parallels, he pointed to the growing interest in fecal transplants and fecal pills derived from healthy individuals — especially from pre-industrial societies — as a way to restore gut bacteria.

“If you really want to know how scientifically beneficial fecal transplants are, you can read about our work here. We have pioneered this method of saving patients dying from acute alcohol-related hepatitis.

Kamakoti, who was speaking at an event on January 15, claimed that cow urine possesses “antibacterial, antifungal and anti-digestive properties” and can be an effective treatment for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, his statements sparked criticism, with some critics dismissing these claims as pseudoscience and questioning the rationality behind such statements.

“Urine therapy has no such known benefits and there is no science behind the promotion of its use. Educate yourself. Stop making the straw man fallacies,” the liver doctor explained.