Food Combinations to Stay Away From to Remain Healthy – ‘Viruddha Ahara’

As the world is taking a shift towards eating healthy, everyone wants to know which foods make their mind, body and soul healed and pampered. But we often forget the don’ts that come with it. 

According to Ayurveda, it is harmful to our body to consume food items in certain combinations, as every food item possesses distinct energy, taste, and effect on the body. As a result, you need to be careful while consuming some food items together. Dr. Dixa Bhavsar, an Ayurveda doctor shared such combinations.

“The literal meaning of the word Viruddha is opposite. So, food combinations that may have – opposite properties (fish and milk); opposite activities on the tissues (fruit and milk); may exert some unwanted effect on the body when processed in a particular form (honey when heated); may exert undesirable effects, when combined in a certain proportion (equal amount of pure honey and ghee); may have unwanted effect if consumed at the wrong time (eating curd at night) are known as Viruddha Ahara” – she explained. 

Milk & Fish: Milk should not be taken with fish as milk is cold and fish has a heating property. Combining the two impairs the efficiency of the blood causing obstruction of the body’s channels, called ‘strotas’. Similarly, she said– “salt and milk together is another combination that should be avoided due to antagonistic qualities of the two.” 

Fruits & Milk: Banana is eaten with milk, curd or buttermilk can lead to cold, cough, and allergies. The combination can also diminish digestion and produce toxins in the body. 

Heated Honey: Heating honey destroys the enzymes present in it that support the digestive process, hence producing toxins (ama) in the body on consumption. 

Equal quantities of Ghee & Honey: The doctor suggested – “when eating ghee and honey together, mix a large quantity of one or the other”. When mixed in equal quantities, ghee and honey have opposite reactions on the body. Honey has a heating, drying, scraping action, whereas ghee has a cooling, moisturizing quality. 

Eating Curd at night: Ideal to eat in winter Curds like – Yoghurt, cheese, cottage cheese, but they should not be consumed at night. According to the Ayurvedic text of Caraka-Samhita - “curd is generally discarded in autumn, summer, and spring.” 

The doctor further advised – “avoid wrong and incompatible food combinations in order to reduce inflammation, avoid skin disorders, autoimmune diseases and stay healthy.”