Sonali Bendre Defends Herself Against Critics Over Naturopathy for Cancer; Understanding Autophagy

Sonali Bendre faced huge criticism from doctors over promoting naturopathy and specifically autophagy as treatment for cancer on social media. Bendre – who was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic endometrial cancer in 2018- had posted on X her belief in autophagy for healing cancer. She was, however, reminded by doctors that it was chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery that helped her recover from cancer, and that autophagy is not a science-based practice. Later, the actress clarified she only shared her ‘experience and learning as a cancer survivor’, and doesn’t claim to be a doctor. “Your cancer went into remission after chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery at an advanced cancer treatment hospital. Not because of Naturopathy. Not because of autophagy.

Because you have the option (and privilege) to opt for the best treatments from scientific practice to help you,” X the post by Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, hepatologist, said. Bendre wrote that the process was part of her broader healing journey - something she learned through research and guidance from her naturopath. “I have never claimed to be a doctor, but I am certainly not a quack either. I am a cancer survivor, someone who has lived through the fear, pain, uncertainty, and rebuilding that the disease brings,” Bendre wrote.

In 2018, when I was diagnosed with cancer, this study really helped me. My naturopath introduced me to it, I researched it, and this is what I followed - Autophagy for healing. And I continue to follow it till date. https://t.co/LYNbsz09Hh

— Sonali Bendre Behl (@iamsonalibendre) November 21, 2025

What is autophagy?

Autophagy is your body’s process of reusing old and damaged cell parts. Cells are the basic building blocks of every tissue and organ in your body, which contain multiple parts that keep them functioning. Over time, these parts become defective or stop working. Autophagy is your body’s cellular recycling system, which allows a cell to disassemble its junk parts and repurpose the salvageable bits and pieces into new, usable cell parts. A cell can discard the parts it does not need. Autophagy is also quality control for your cells. Too many junk components in a cell take up space and can slow or prevent a cell from functioning correctly. Autophagy remakes the clutter into the selected cell components you need, optimizing your cells’ performance. In 2016, Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering the mechanisms of autophagy. It is an important survival mechanism, but not a medical treatment.

Is autophagy a treatment for cancer?

According to experts, autophagy does not cure cancer on its own. It has a complex role which can be both helpful and harmful - making it what they call a "double-edged sword". While early-stage autophagy can suppress the formation of tumours, in established tumours, it allows the cells to adapt to stress and become resistant to therapies like chemotherapy. As such, therapies are being developed to either inhibit or activate autophagy depending on the specific context to treat cancer, often in combination with other treatments. According to doctors, patients must adopt supplementary lifestyle practices, but these can never replace oncologist-guided therapies. Cancer misinformation is widespread across India - from detox diets to alkaline water cures – all of which often lead patients to delay treatment, worsening survival odds.