{"id":2190,"date":"2020-12-07T11:25:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T11:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/?p=2190"},"modified":"2023-03-20T16:25:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T16:25:26","slug":"is-food-combining-legit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/is-food-combining-legit","title":{"rendered":"Is ‘food combining’ legit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Food combining diets claim many benefits, from better digestion and bloating relief, to more energy and better skin. But does it actually work? Read on for the facts\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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Spoiler: Ultimately, what we now know about nutrition and digestion contradicts it, so I wouldn\u2019t recommend it. <\/b>You absolutely can load up your festive feast with all the trimmings (yes, Brussels sprouts too!) on one plate – don’t let ‘food combining’ ideas stop you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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First, what actually is food combining?<\/b><\/p>\n

This concept is based on an ancient Ayurvedic theory that, as foods are digested at different speeds, only certain foods should be eaten together (which digest at the same speed) and some should only be eaten separately. Otherwise, say hello to digestive issues and even disease due to the food \u2018rotting\u2019 in your stomach (spoiler: that is NOT the case – more on that shortly!)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Some of the key \u2018rules\u2019 include not eating protein and fat together, only eating fruit alone, and not mixing protein and starch (a type of carbohydrate).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Now, this isn\u2019t to criticise the spiritual practice of Ayurveda, but it\u2019s important to know that a lot of the claims around \u2018food combining\u2019 aren\u2019t backed up by science.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So what does the science say?<\/b><\/p>\n

For starters, there was one clinical trial looking at a \u2018food combining\u2019 diet, back in May 2000, and it focused on whether it could impact weight loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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In short, 54 patients with obesity followed 1,100 calories per day diets, all with similar composition and amounts of macronutrients.<\/span><\/p>\n

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