CLAIM: A viral Instagram reel claims that drinking 3 litres of water the day after alcohol consumption helps “flush alcohol” from the body, that antioxidant-rich foods (berries, amla, leafy greens) reduce alcohol-related oxidative stress, and that garlic, turmeric, and fatty fish boost liver enzymes to break down acetaldehyde faster, effectively “detoxing” the body. 

FACT: False. The claims that drinking three litres of water can “flush out” alcohol, or that antioxidant-rich foods and ingredients like garlic and turmeric can speed up liver detoxification, are misleading. Studies show alcohol is metabolised at a fixed rate by liver enzymes, unaffected by water intake. Experts confirm no food or diet accelerates the body’s natural detoxification process. 

An Instagram reel by a doctor with more than 55,000 likes claims to explain how people can “detox” their bodies after drinking alcohol the previous night. The reel, posted by clinical dietitian Meghana, who has over 18,000 followers, offers several tips that she says can help the body get rid of alcohol faster.

In the video, Meghana explains how alcohol is absorbed and processed by the body. She says that “the minute alcohol touches the tongue, absorption begins” because alcohol enters the body through diffusion, which she describes as the fastest way of absorption compared with normal food. She also says that the liver can process only one standard drink every hour, adding that one standard drink contains 10 grams of pure alcohol.

She advises people to “hydrate aggressively” after drinking. “Drink at least three litres of water the following day. This water is going to be extremely important to flush out all the alcohol from your system, especially the one that got absorbed by diffusion into your body water,” she said.

She also recommends eating foods rich in antioxidants. According to her, these foods help “break the cycle of the creation of reactive oxygen species and reduce oxidative stress in the body.”

Finally, she says people should eat foods that help the liver produce enzymes needed to break down acetaldehyde, a toxic substance produced when the body metabolises alcohol. “The third and most important” step, she says, is to eat foods that help the liver produce “the enzymes that are important for breaking down this acetaldehyde.”

In the caption accompanying the reel, Meghana lists berries (blueberries and strawberries), amla (Indian gooseberry), spinach and other leafy greens, almonds, walnuts and green tea as antioxidant-rich foods. She also recommends asparagus, pears, oranges, fatty fish such as salmon, garlic, turmeric and dandelion tea as foods that she says help boost these liver enzymes.

What do the studies say?

Research suggests that there is no quick way to “detox” the body after drinking alcohol. Instead, the body mainly relies on the liver to break down alcohol at its own pace.

A 2023 study published in Medicine Advances found that drinking alcohol regularly changes how the body functions over time. As the body adapts to repeated alcohol exposure, suddenly stopping alcohol can trigger physical withdrawal symptoms. The researchers explained that, “The risks of alcohol consumption extend beyond long-term health issues. Because habitual alcohol drinkers reach a state of systemic homeostasis, when they attempt withdrawal, they experience many negative physiological effects and may develop alcohol withdrawal syndrome.”

The study stressed that these changes are not simply a matter of self-control or habit but involve real physical changes inside the body that may require medical care. The researchers reviewed how alcohol affects different organs, the diseases it can cause, and how these conditions are treated. “The aim was to provide a reference to improve understanding of alcohol use and promote an informed approach to alcohol withdrawal,” the study stated.

Another study, published in 2024, examined the common belief that dehydration is the main reason people get hangovers and that drinking large amounts of water can relieve them.

After reviewing the available evidence, the researchers found that people who drank more water also tended to report feeling thirstier and having worse hangovers. This did not mean that water made hangovers worse; rather, thirst and hangovers appeared to happen at the same time. The study noted that “while hangovers were typically relatively enduring, dehydration effects were usually mild and short-lasting.”

The researchers also found that “survey data revealed that water consumption during or directly after alcohol consumption had only a modest effect in preventing next-day hangover,” and that drinking more water while hungover did not significantly reduce either hangover symptoms or thirst.

Overall, the researchers concluded that hangovers and dehydration are related but separate effects of drinking alcohol. While staying hydrated is important for general health, current evidence does not support the claim that drinking large amounts of water can flush alcohol out of the body or speed up recovery from a hangover.

Do experts agree?

Not entirely. Experts say that while some of the foods mentioned are generally healthy, there is no evidence that they can help the body get rid of alcohol faster or “detox” it after a night of drinking.

Fauziya Ansari, Dietitian at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Mumbai, said drinking more water does not speed up alcohol removal from the body. She explained that the liver breaks down alcohol at its own fixed pace using specialised enzymes. “The liver metabolises alcohol at a relatively fixed rate using enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase,” she said, adding that drinking three litres of water “does not ‘flush out’ alcohol or make a person sober any faster.”

Ansari also said the idea of an alcohol “detox” is often misunderstood. According to her, “the term ‘detox’ is widely used in marketing but has little scientific meaning in this context.” She explained that “the human body already has an efficient detoxification system involving the liver, kidneys, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract,” and that “no specific food, juice, supplement, or detox diet has been proven to eliminate alcohol or its toxic by-products faster than the body’s natural processes.”

On antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, amla and leafy greens, Ansari said they are nutritious but the evidence that they can protect people from alcohol-related harm is limited. Human studies showing they “significantly reduce alcohol-induced oxidative stress or prevent liver damage are limited,” she said, describing the claim as “largely an extrapolation from broader nutrition research.”

She also rejected the claim that foods such as garlic, turmeric or fatty fish can help the liver break down acetaldehyde more quickly. According to Ansari, “there is no convincing clinical evidence” to support this because “the liver’s enzyme activity is tightly regulated.”

Also read: FACT CHECK: Does alcohol really keep you warm during winters?