Pesquisa e inovação biomédica avançada

Incompatible food combinations in Ayurveda: The unknown cause behind a weakened immunity

Dhouha Hafsi

During this time of deadly infectious diseases, many think that by eating healthy food, they are maintaining a strong immune system. However, in Ayurveda, eating healthy food is not enough. How to eat it is more important. This is what explains the fact that so many people may suffer from gas, indigestion, nausea, fatigue, bloating, and elimination issues, while they think they are eating proper food. In fact, Ayurveda has clearly stated that the relation between a healthy gut and a good immunity is inextricably intertwined. This ancient Indian medicine has recognized that certain foods don’t go together. In this respect, it is worth-mentioning that the ayurvedic food combination guidelines are different from other dietary food combination theories. Ayurveda uses the inherent qualities and tastes of food as well as their digestive effect to make determinations about what will go together. Two foods can be individually beneficial and easy to digest but when mixed, their energies and post digestive effects can create antagonistic qualities. The accumulated toxins clog the channels in the body, weaken the immune system and lead to unexplained diseases. Ayurveda considers milk and banana, for example, as incompatible foods. The mixture of both foods may sound nutritious enough, but its effect proved to be harmful. Mixing dairy and fruit slows the digestive fire, alters the intestinal juice and accumulates toxins in the body. Such incompatible food combinations, not only disturb the digestion, but also cause confusion in the intelligence of our cells which can lead to a weakened immune system. The good news is that incompatible food combinations can be solved in two ayurvedic ways: either by compensating for some of incompatible foods’ negative effect with a suitable ayurvedic diet or by simply developing an awareness of the ayurvedic food combination guidelines.