Which foods should be eaten together and which should not and why?

When it comes to food choices, namely food combinations, many people have doubts. But is it really risky to mix everything in one meal?

Nutriciologist, consultant in the psychology of eating behavior

Compatibility or incompatibility of foods is a myth that goes back to antiquity and Ayurveda.

安娜 It is not true that different foods are digested at different rates, and that mixing them leads to “traffic jams” in the gastrointestinal tract and putrefaction. Because our stomach secretes hydrochloric acid, and it inhibits the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. They can’t form because it’s sterile. It’s like an operating room.

How do you combine foods?

There is some truth to this statement, but let’s look at the question in more detail. Proponents of separate diets argue that the digestion of different foods requires different enzymes, which logically work in different environments: either acidic or alkaline. The environment supposedly cannot be both at the same time.

安娜 Let’s start with the fact that almost any product is a combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in different percentages. For example, cereals belong to the carbohydrate class, but they contain both protein and fats. Meat is a protein product, but fats are also present in it. During the consumption of food in the GI tract, along with digestive juices and other necessary substances, all three classes of enzymes are released: proteases, lipases and carbs. The first break down proteins, the second fats, the third carbohydrates. And it doesn’t matter if you ate a net carbohydrate or not, the GI tract will still produce these three enzymes.

Acid-base balance is such an important and serious indicator that even a small deviation in one direction or another can be fatal for a person, notes the nutritionist. Such vital signs can not depend on food. They are regulated by completely different mechanisms. These are occupied by the buffer systems of the body, and food on the acidic or alkaline environment is quite a small impact. However, there are indeed some combinations of foods that can affect the absorption of certain substances from food.

Citrus fruits and iron. Iron comes in two forms: heme iron from meat, non-heme iron from plant foods. The former is perfectly digested, while only 1-10% of the latter remains in the body. But there is a way to solve this problem – add vitamin C to a source of non-heme iron. That is, if you eat citrus fruits or bell peppers along with spinach, cereals and legumes, the absorption of iron from them will be higher.

kinesiologist, founder of the Dr. Shagarova Center in Russia

The body knows how to digest mixed food. For example, it is with vegetables that protein is digested very well. In terms of volume, it should be half as much as vegetables.

Also fats are well combined with both carbohydrates and protein. Separate meals, however, can be used by people with severe deficiencies to restore health.

You should not combine fruits with the main meal, as this will lead to fermentation. They should be consumed 30 minutes before the main meal or two hours after. But it is advisable not to eat more than 1-2 fruits per day.