Drinking Milk after Eating Fish – Is It Toxic?

Science and Ayurveda concur on the fact that certain foods can create ill-effects in the body because of the way our body breaks down and assimilates food. Many combinations of food shouldn’t be had together, like starchy foods with high protein foods, two high protein foods, or even milk and orange juice. The digestive complications that arise from such combinations are not dangerous but are known to wreak havoc on your digestive system. But science has come a long way, and there has been substantial research on diseases, their causes, and their relation to foods. Specific disputed warnings of yore can be put to rest thanks to developments in medical sciences. One such cautionary hand-me-down, about a food combination that has long been suspected of causing troubling, is the consumption of milk or dairy after eating fish. Let us get into the details of whether this food combination is indeed a cause for trouble and what you need to watch out for!

Can You Drink Milk After Eating Fish?

It is important to understand food consumption from the perspective of the human body and its capacity for digestion. Keeping that in mind, it is essential to examine the logic behind the theory that drinking milk after eating fish can harm your body. A majority of the population has already succumbed to the warnings of their grandparents and the accompanying ancient beliefs. For centuries, our forefathers have warned us about this food combination is disastrous to our health and immunity. It is undoubtedly an off-putting situation for fish lovers, and it is time we set the records straight, one way or the other.

Logical Viewpoint

Logic and reasoning make us want to say that there is no reason for you to stay off fish and milk combination. Popular cuisines across the world bring fish, yoghurt, or milk together in their recipes. Nutritionists claim that these foods are great for combating heart diseases, diabetes, and even psychological health problems. In reality, several Mediterranean meals that combine dairy, fish, nuts, and cereals, are considered to be the healthiest meals according to global standards.

What Does Ayurveda Say?

Ancient ayurvedic texts and practices suggest that having fish and dairy together is not good for health. The explanation is that milk is a vegetarian food while fish is a non-vegetarian food, and combining the two can increase the ‘tamas-guna’ in the body. This will bring about an imbalance to the energy flow in the body and thereby affect your health. The rise in tamasic energies also causes chemical changes in the blood that may lead to leukoderma. Ayurveda also suggests that milk causes cooling of the body while fish creates heat in the body, and having one within a short gap of the other can create ‘vata dosha’ or imbalance in your body. This, they believe is why eating fish and milk together causes allergies in the body.

What’s the Scientific Outlook?

Science comes to the rescue of fish lovers by unequivocally stating that there is no proof that fish and milk together can cause any malaise to the body. Scientists and doctors dispute the theory that vitiligo or leukoderma can be caused by consuming fish and dairy together. Vitiligo is a condition of the body caused when melanocytes of the skin die due to viral conditions, genetic oxidative stress, or autoimmune disorders. None of these causes has ever been attributed to the combination of fish and milk.

The Impact of Drinking Milk after Having Fish on Immunity and the Digestive System

Now here is a sound reason as to why fish and milk should not be combined. This reasoning works for all meat and dairy combinations because meat and dairy are high protein foods which require different types of enzymes to break them down. By eating them together, the body releases high amounts of energy (concurrent with what Ayurveda states on energy imbalance), and increases the workload on your digestive system. This can lead to bloating, gas or other digestive discomforts.

Can Fish & Milk Combination Cause White Spots On the Skin?

White spots or patches on the body are known as leukoderma or a condition called vitiligo. This condition is caused due to the destruction of colour pigments in the body also known as melanocytes. These melanocytes are either altered or destroyed due to genetic conditions or autoimmune diseases. The exact cause for leukoderma is unknown, but neither fish nor dairy can cause the formation of skin patches. Other medical conditions develop after drinking milk over fish because of the digestive implications of combining both foods. One is also at risk of allergies, diarrhoea, or food poisoning from unclean, outdated fish and dairy products.

It is of importance to note that unless you are lactose intolerant or have allergies to seafood, you should be safe while consuming fish and milk together or one after another. If, however, you are lactose intolerant or have allergies, then consumption of dairy or fish in combination or even separately could be hazardous for you. In the end, however, if a little discomfort is worth bearing to satiate the taste buds, there is no real harm done by eating fish with a dairy product. If on the other hand you really want to sidestep the bloating and queasiness after a meal, you should probably avoid mixing any two high-protein food items. Now that you are armed with this information, you can choose wisely whether to eat fish and milk together or simply avoid the combination.

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