12 common food pairings that are actually incorrect.

In life, some food combinations have a long history, and their wonderful flavors are widely accepted. It is also customary to feel that these pairings are a matter of course. Here we list 12 food combinations that health experts consider incorrect.

1. Stewed Beef with Potatoes:

Since potatoes and beef require different concentrations of stomach acid for digestion, they will inevitably prolong the time food stays in the stomach. This, in turn, extends the time for gastrointestinal digestion and absorption. Over time, this will inevitably lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Stewed Beef with Potatoes

2. Scallions with Tofu:

The calcium in tofu and the oxalic acid in scallions combine to form a white precipitate—calcium oxalate, which also makes it difficult for the body to absorb calcium.

Stewed Beef with Potatoes

3. Egg Whites in Soy Milk:

The mucoprotein in eggs combines with trypsin in soy milk, thereby losing their respective nutritional value.

4. Tea-Boiled Eggs:

In addition to alkaloids, tea also contains acidic substances. These compounds combine with the iron in eggs, which can irritate the stomach and is not conducive to digestion and absorption.

5. Adding MSG to Scrambled Eggs:

Eggs themselves contain a lot of glutamic acid, the same component as MSG. Therefore, adding MSG when scrambling eggs not only fails to enhance the umami flavor but also destroys and masks the natural umami of the eggs.

Scrambled Eggs with Green Peppers

6. Red and White Radishes Mixed Together:

White radishes are extremely high in vitamin C, but red radishes contain an enzyme called ascorbin that breaks down vitamin C. When red and white radishes are combined, the vitamin C in the white radish is completely destroyed. Not only that, when cooked with vegetables containing vitamin C, the red radish acts as a destroyer. Cucumbers, pumpkins, and others also contain similar decomposition enzymes.

7. Radishes and Fruits Eaten Together:

In recent years, scientists have discovered that after cruciferous vegetables like radishes enter the human body, they quickly produce a substance that affects the thyroid—thiocyanate. The amount of this substance produced is proportional to the intake. At this time, if fruits rich in plant pigments such as oranges, pears, apples, and grapes are consumed, the flavonoids in these fruits are broken down by bacteria in the intestine into substances like hydroxybenzoic acid and ferulic acid. These can enhance the effect of thiocyanate in suppressing the thyroid, thus inducing or causing goiter.

Radish and Beef Brisket Soup

8. Seafood and Fruits Eaten Together:

Seafood such as fish, shrimp, and algae are rich in nutrients like protein and calcium. If eaten with fruits containing tannic acid, it not only reduces the nutritional value of the protein but also easily causes the calcium in the seafood to combine with tannic acid to form a new, indigestible substance. This substance can irritate the stomach, causing discomfort, stomach pain, vomiting, and nausea. Fruits with high tannic acid content include persimmons, grapes, pomegranates, hawthorn, and green plums. Therefore, these fruits should not be eaten with seafood dishes at the same time; an interval of two hours is advisable.

9. Milk and Oranges Eaten Together:

If you drink milk and then eat oranges immediately, the protein in the milk will first encounter the citric acid and vitamin C in the oranges and coagulate into clumps, affecting digestion and absorption. It can also cause symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

10. Alcohol and Carrots Eaten Together:

Recently, American food experts have warned people that it is dangerous to eat carrots and drink alcohol at the same time. Experts point out that because the rich beta-carotene in carrots enters the body along with alcohol, it will produce toxins in the liver, causing liver disease. Especially after drinking carrot juice, one should not drink alcohol immediately.

Sichuan Pickles

11. Drinking Baijiu and Soda Water Together:

Because drinking baijiu and soda water together will quickly cause alcohol to volatilize throughout the body and produce a large amount of carbon dioxide, it has serious harm to organs such as the stomach, intestines, liver, and kidneys, and also damages the cardiovascular system.

12. Drinking Tea While Eating Meat:

Some people drink tea soon after eating meat, seafood, and other high-protein foods, thinking it helps digestion. What they don't know is that the large amount of tannic acid in tea combines with protein to form tannic acid protein, which has an astringent effect and slows down intestinal peristalsis. This prolongs the time feces stays in the intestine. It not only easily leads to constipation but also increases the possibility of the body absorbing toxic and carcinogenic substances.

Pan-fried Pork Slices