10 harmful food combinations

Mixing these foods in one meal is harmful to your digestive health.

Reda Elmardi Reda Elmardi, Registered Dietician and Certified Nutritionist, and Tanya Choudhary, ISSA Certified Specialist in Fitness and Nutrition, reveal toxic food combinations.

Not only do they obstruct digestive channels, but they also block the body from accessing important nutrients.

1. Carbohydrates + animal protein

Carbs and protein, such as meat with bread or potatoes, act on each other where carbs ferment and protein decomposes.

This mixture is one of the causes of flatulence, bloating and gas. It is possible to build immunity if a person has been eating them for years, but it is still not recommended.

2. Two high proteins

One of the popular combinations, bacon and eggs, falls under this category. This combination strains the digestive system because it takes a long time to digest. Additional meals later are piled on adding more pressure.

Recommendation: Eat light proteins first and meats later with a time-lapse of 10 minutes in-between.

3. Food + water/juice

When you drink fluids with food, the water dilutes the stomach acid making it incapable of breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

However, drinking water 10 minutes before your meal will make you feel full for longer. This will prevent overeating or diluting enzymes.

4. Fruit + meal

Fruit passes quickly through the digestive system compared to food. Food slows down the fruit in the digestive system which makes the sugar in the fruits ferment.

5. Yoghurt + fruit

The bacteria in yoghurt act on the sugar in fruits. This reaction results in colds, allergies and toxins.

Instead of fruit, mix unflavoured yoghurt with honey, cinnamon, raisins, or water+cumin powder and ginger to settle stomach upsets after a meal.

6. Cereal + milk and orange juice

The casein in milk reacts with the acid in the juice leading to curdle and destruction of enzyme present in the cereal. If you must have juice, have it one hour before or after having the cereal.

7. Banana + milk

Whether eaten as whole foods together or as a milkshake, this combination sits in the stomach heavily. Add nutmeg or cinnamon to a glass of the milkshake to stimulate the digestive system.

8. Tomatoes + pasta

The acids in the tomatoes weaken enzymes in pasta and curdle the dairy in cheese. Carbohydrates and meat are also bad to pair with this combination.

9. Cheese + meat

This is a high-protein combination that is difficult to digest. Avoid meat in an omelette, cheese mixed with vegetables, or meat and cheese.

10. Sugar + fat + salt

All three or two combinations of these foods can be harmful. Sugar and fat have high-calorie content, sugar has no nutritional value, and fat may increase cholesterol levels.

This makes these combinations breeding grounds for diabetes and obesity. Salt and fat are also toxic because salt increases water retention leading to elevated blood pressure while fat increases cholesterol levels.