Food pairings are very common in a regular, everyday diet, sometimes with drinks, other times with different food groups, like fruits with nuts. But one such pairing raises eyebrows: fruits with milk.
Is it healthy? The source of apprehension can be traced back to the perceived adverse reaction between the fruit’s acidic substances and milk, triggering a chemical reaction. But that’s just half the story.
Ralston D’Souza, a fitness coach, dispelled this anxiety by revealing a nuanced insight about food pairing in a video he posted on Instagram on January 21.
Eating fruits with milk is a widely popular staple at breakfast, but health concerns like milk curdling can make one alarmed and second-guess their dietary choices. But the coach assured that the combination is not unhealthy. Ralston believed that this doubt stems from pairing acidic fruits, particularly with milk, believing that the acid spoils or ‘curdles’ the milk, which may trigger gut-related issues.
But this curdling process is not abnormal, as it takes place in your stomach, too, naturally!
What is the process of milk curdling?
Ralston described the process of milk curdling after interacting with acidic materials, “You see milk has casein proteins that normally repel each other, which keeps milk liquid. When you add something acidic, like lime juice or vinegar. The pH drops, the charges change, and the casein proteins stop repelling and start chasing causing the milk to curdle.”
Is it healthy?
Now, there may be hesitation as the entire composition of milk changes, but the coach assured that this process is not unhealthy. Even paneer is made in this same process. The curdling takes place in the stomach as well. The coach added, “And even if you drink plain fresh milk, it will curdle inside your stomach because stomach acid naturally curdles milk as a part of digestion. So having vitamin C-rich fruits with milk does not spoil or make it unhealthy.”
In conclusion, eating fruits with milk will not make you fall sick, unless you are lactose intolerant or have other gut-related issues. Eventually, milk naturally curdles in the stomach, so the coach cleared the doubt and gave a thumbs up to eating vitamin C-rich fruits with milk.