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This isn't a religious/Jewish question or about living conditions over two millennia ago. I hear it's bad to drink milk while eating meat but hear no reliable scientific evidence to support it.

Sklivvz
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Joe
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  • I can tell you that the "passed down wisdom" is that the milk curdles, or somehow reacts with the meat in your stomach casing digestion problems. Mumbo jumbo if you ask me (Otherwise a whole generation of McKids who like a milkshake with their big mac would be writhing on the floor in agony). – Jamiec Jun 07 '12 at 08:46
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    Similar question: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/6719/is-eating-fish-and-drinking-milk-at-the-same-time-linked-with-skin-disease – Oddthinking Jun 07 '12 at 10:01
  • For more meat+milk weirdness: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/7463/96 – Sklivvz Jun 07 '12 at 10:20
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    Try as I might, I cannot find one scientific review of this. There *has* to be something. All I can find is people echoing what ive commented above, without any citation whatsoever. Some rabbi decided "dont cook a calf in its mothers milk", and a few thousand years later were still scratching our heads wondering why! – Jamiec Jun 07 '12 at 13:12
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    Isn't milk used to cook some types of meat? – picakhu Jun 07 '12 at 13:14
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    Not an answer, but the following Italian recipe mixes the two (and it's certainly not a problem!): http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefveal/r/blr1317.htm – Sklivvz Jun 07 '12 at 14:16
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    Also: English breakfast + tea and milk – Sklivvz Jun 07 '12 at 14:16
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    The motivations for not eating meat/milk/fish together are all purely religious. I have never seen a single source claim that there is a scientific reason for this. If you can't demonstrate a notable claim that there's anything other than religious reason for this, then this question should be closed. – Alain Jun 07 '12 at 17:34
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    @Jamiec: McDonalds uses real milk in their shakes? Now *that* makes me skeptical. – oosterwal Jun 14 '12 at 06:22
  • @oosterwal - Im pretty sure McDonalds shakes do contain milk. [Snopes agrees](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/mcdshake.asp) and [Mcdonalds states they do use milk in their shakes](http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/see_what_we_are_made_of/your_questions_answered/dairy_eggs.html) – Jamiec Jun 14 '12 at 07:09
  • @alain I have seen claims that vitamin C (an acid) helps in meat digestion; perhaps milk would inhibit this effect. – David LeBauer Aug 05 '12 at 03:03
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    Just a note from someone who does keep kosher. There is no claim in Torah sources (as far as I know) that the separation of meat and dairy is for physical health. It is presented for the reason that "you shall be sanctified". Now there are places in Jewish Sources where eating Meet and fish together is said to be a health risk but those date from the 12th century so while I don't do that out of tradition I don't have any reason to think it is really a health risk – Zachary K Aug 04 '12 at 19:47
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    Cordon Blue for dinner, anyone? – jwenting Apr 16 '15 at 09:48

1 Answers1

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Calcium may inhibit iron absorption, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's "unhealthy", just that if you're eating red meat to contribute to your body's iron reserves, and drinking milk to achieve the same thing with calcium, it may be best not to have them in the same meal.

Sam
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  • in which case, the better alternative is some orange juice (or anything with vitamin C), which *increases* iron absorption (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2507689) – drfrogsplat Dec 12 '12 at 00:58
  • Orange juice is very high in sugar, so probably not very healthy to drink it often unless in very small servings. – bdsl Apr 16 '15 at 20:56