Eating these foods with curd can worsen gut health

Curd, or yogurt, is a widely consumed dairy product known for its numerous health benefits, especially for gut health. It contains probiotics—live bacteria that support a healthy digestive system and improve immunity.
However, the benefits of curd can be counteracted when paired with certain foods, as improper combinations may disrupt digestion, cause gut imbalances, or lead to other health issues. Here are some food items you should avoid eating with curd to maintain optimal gut health:

Combining curd with fish is a common dietary mistake that can adversely affect your gut. According to Ayurveda, curd and fish are incompatible foods due to their opposing properties. When consumed together, they can cause an imbalance in the digestive system, leading to issues like bloating, indigestion, or skin conditions such as rashes and allergies. This combination may lead to excessive production of toxins in the body.

While both curd and mango are nutritious, eating them together can cause acidity and indigestion in some individuals. Mango is naturally sweet and heating, whereas curd is sour and cooling. This opposing nature can disturb the stomach’s pH balance and slow digestion, particularly for people with sensitive stomach.

Onions are a staple in many diets, but consuming them with curd can lead to digestive discomfort. Onions have a heating effect on the body, while curd is cooling. This clash in properties may result in bloating, gas, or an upset stomach. For those with weak digestive systems, this combination can be particularly harmful.

Some people face problems of acid reflux or indigestion after consuming nightshade vegetables like brinjal, also known as eggplant, and tomatoes with curd. The acidity in the stomach could increase due to the curd’s sour nature when tomatoes are consumed together with the latter.

Even though milk and curd both originate from the dairy group, they should not be taken together. Ayurveda considers this forbidden as it leads to digestive disorders and imbalance in gut flora. Curd and milk are metabolized differently, and these two given items can sometimes cause indigestion or increase bloating/toxin buildup in the gut if taken together.

Fruits like watermelon, cucumber, and muskmelon should not be taken with curd. These fruits have a high water content that dilutes digestive juices when consumed with curd, slowing down digestion. This leads to bloating, fermentation in the gut, and discomfort.

Adding too much processed sugar to curd nullifies its health benefits. Processed sugar feeds bad bacteria in the gut, which can result in gut dysbiosis or an imbalance in gut bacteria. A small amount of natural sweetener like honey is acceptable, but avoid overloading curd with refined sugars.

Eating curd with fried or overly spicy foods can upset the digestive system. Fried foods are heavy and slow to digest, while spicy foods may irritate the gut lining. Combining these with curd can exacerbate acidity, leading to discomfort and poor gut health.

Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, or grapefruit should not be eaten with curd. The high acidity of these fruits, combined with the sourness of curd, can lead to excessive acidity in the stomach. This can result in heartburn, acid reflux, or indigestion.

Many of the above combinations create digestive imbalances because of differences in food properties. Ayurveda emphasizes that certain food pairings can lead to the production of toxins or “ama” in the body, which hampers digestion and gut health. Modern nutrition also supports the idea that poorly paired foods can disrupt the gut microbiome, leading to discomfort, bloating, and long-term issues like inflammation or weakened immunity.