The Indian Express ·
Can IV glutathione shots help after heavy drinking? Top liver doctor explains
Sold as an antioxidant, hangover cure and liver “cleanser”, IV glutathione has become a wellness shortcut. But the science tells a more troubling story, says hepatologist
There is a seductive myth in the wellness industry: drink heavily tonight, repair yourself tomorrow. “The morning after a binge, when the head is pounding and the stomach is protesting, the answer is supposedly an IV drip — glutathione, fluids, antioxidants and a promise of detoxification. The sales pitch is simple: glutathione is a powerful antioxidant, the liver naturally contains it, therefore putting a large dose directly into the bloodstream must help the liver recover,” says Dr Arvinder Singh Soin, Chairman of the Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta-The Medicity, Gurugram.
But this “hyperbolic, influencer-driven therapy” is nothing short of a myth. “Glutathione is indeed an important antioxidant produced naturally by the body and is present in high concentrations in the liver. But that does not mean that administering it intravenously after a night of heavy drinking will repair the resulting damage. The liver has its own sophisticated antioxidant and detoxification mechanisms,” says Dr Soin. So giving glutathione intravenously does not mean you can clean the liver after drinking.
There is now an additional reason for caution. In August 2026, the US Food and Drug Administration warned compounders against using dietary-supplement-grade glutathione to make injectable products after reports of adverse events in at least 30 patients who had received IV glutathione. Reported reactions included fever, chills, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure and symptoms resembling shock or sepsis; some patients required hospitalisation. The FDA also found excessive toxin levels in some products.
