Mumbai | June 6: Stop, don’t eat milk with chicken, or else you’ll get leucoderma! We are damn sure you may have heard this saying a zillion times. Indian cuisine is all about flavourful dishes whose age-old recipes are passed down through generations. However, alongside these valuable traditions, some food combination myths persist, often lacking scientific backing and potentially restricting our dietary choices. It’s high time to deconstruct and debunk these popular culinary myths so that you can have a peaceful taste combination that pleases your heart.
Milk and Fish: Indeed the most popular belief in some regions of India. People believe consuming milk and fish together can lead to certain skin diseases like leucoderma or other health issues. While individual allergies exist, this myth lacks scientific evidence and there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.
Fruits and Meals: Many people believe that eating fruits with meals can cause digestive issues and degrade the nutritional value of fruits. While it’s true that fruits digest quickly eating them with meals won’t cause food to rot in the stomach. While their digestion rates differ, the body efficiently absorbs nutrients regardless of timing.
Curd and Fruits: A popular meal in the Western world! However, in India, some people believe that consuming yoghurt (curd) and certain fruits together can lead to acidity or digestive problems. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this statement.
Curd and eggplant: Ah, ah! Yes, this myth can be spotted in every second Indian house. There is a belief that consuming yoghurt with eggplant curry can cause white spot disease. Let us debunk this myth for you; this statement is solely false with no scientific evidence.
Curd at Night: Do you love eating curd at night? There’s a belief that consuming yoghurt at night can lead to cough and cold. However, there is no strong scientific evidence to support this claim.
Banana and Milk: There’s a common belief that consuming bananas with milk can cause digestive problems or heaviness. While some people may experience discomfort due to individual differences, for most, this combination provides them with a sense of fulfilment and joy, so enjoy your pot of banana and milk without any fear.
Citrus Fruits and Milk: Another common myth is that combining citrus fruits with milk can lead to the formation of curds which can act as harmful substances. In reality, this combination is generally safe for most people.
Radish and Milk: Some people avoid consuming radish and milk together, believing it can be harmful. However, there is limited scientific evidence supporting this claim.
Honey and Hot Water: It’s often believed that consuming honey with hot water can have various health benefits. While honey itself has health benefits, the temperature of the water may not significantly impact these benefits; one can enjoy their morning energy buster without any sense of fright.
Microwaving food can cause Cancer: How often do you microwave your food? Very often? Worry not; it’s totally safe to use those electromagnetic induction waves to agitate the water molecules to heat up the food. It doesn’t increase the risk of cancer.
Jaggery is healthier than White Sugar: While it’s totally true that jaggery contains some nutrients and white sugar doesn’t, solely perceiving jaggery as a healthier alternative is a myth. Jaggery is still high in calories.
Foam on Pulse increases Uric acid: While cooking dal, the foam on top of a pan of lentils or beans appears which is created by ‘saponins’ within the beans in water. The foam is not dangerous, and it’s totally safe to consume. You can skim it off the top of your lentils if you like, but it’s totally fine to leave it too.
