Food combining is a

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemistry, biochemical and physiology, physiological process by which an organism uses food and water to support its life. The intake of these substances provides organisms with nutrients (divided into Macronutrient, macro- ...

pseudoscientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

approach that advocates specific combinations (or advises against certain combinations) of foods. These proposed specific combinations are promoted as central to good health as well as improved

digestion Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food compounds into small water-soluble components so that they can be absorbed into the blood plasma. In certain organisms, these smaller substances are absorbed through the small intestine into th ...

and

weight loss Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...

, despite having no sufficient evidence for these claims. It proposes a list of rules that advocate for eating or not eating certain foods together, including to avoid eating starches and proteins together; always eat fruit before, and not after, a meal; avoid eating fruits and vegetables together in the same meal; and to not drink cold water during a meal. Food combining was originally promoted by Herbert M. Shelton in his book ''Food Combining Made Easy'' (1951), but the issue had been previously discussed by

Edgar Cayce Edgar Cayce (; March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945) was an American clairvoyant who claimed to diagnose diseases and recommend treatments for ailments while asleep. During thousands of transcribed sessions, Cayce would answer questions on ...

.Raso, Jack. (1993). ''Vitalistic Gurus and Their Legacies''. In

Stephen Barrett Stephen Joel Barrett (; born 1933) is an American retired psychiatrist, author, and consumer advocate best known for his work combatting health fraud and promoting evidence-based medicine. He founded Quackwatch, a network of websites that cri ...

. ''The Health Robbers: A Close Look at Quackery in America''. Prometheus Books. pp. 236-240. The best-known food-combining diet is the Hay Diet, named after William Howard Hay. He lost 30 pounds in 3 months when he implemented his research. In recent years, the food combining diet was popularized in online spaces by social media influencer Kenzie Burke, who promoted and profited from the fad diet through the sale of her "21-Day Reset" program. The promotion of food combining is not based on facts, making claims that have no scientific backing and displaying some characteristics of

pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

. Kenzie Burke utilizes a multitude of positive testimonials for her 21-Day Reset program that detail various customers' stories of success with the program. One

randomized controlled trial A randomized controlled trial (or randomized control trial; RCT) is a form of scientific experiment used to control factors not under direct experimental control. Examples of RCTs are clinical trials that compare the effects of drugs, surgical ...

of food combining was performed in 2000, and found no evidence that food combining was any more effective than a "balanced" diet in promoting weight loss. Besides this study, there is minimal legitimate scientific research on food combining as a diet, and subsequently no sufficient amount of legitimate scientific evidence for any of the diet's claims and any benefits it could potentially have for one's health.

References

{{Alternative medicine Alternative medicine Fad diets

See also

References