You will have heard rumors on blogs or social media that mixing pineapple and milk will be poisonous — and even lethal.
By itself, pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit well-known for its attribute candy however acidic taste. Actually, it’s the world’s third hottest tropical fruit after bananas and citrus (
Milk alone is a extremely nutritious drink that gives all three macronutrients — fats, protein, and carbs — in addition to a number of nutritional vitamins and minerals (
For those who’ve ever wanted to combine these two elements in recipes, the longstanding rumor about combining pineapple and milk might have come to thoughts.
This text explains whether or not mixing pineapple and milk is secure.
Sure rumors declare that mixing pineapple and milk results in stomachache, nausea, and diarrhea. A number of extra drastic myths suggest that this mix might even be toxic.
Nonetheless, no scientific proof helps this fable.
A examine in rats even means that consuming each meals on the similar time is completely secure. The rats obtained both a pineapple juice and milk resolution at completely different concentrations, a poisonous resolution, or a unhazardous resolution (3).
These given the pineapple and milk combination have been simply as wholesome as these within the management group (3).
Thus, this combination of elements gained’t hurt your well being.
All the identical, pineapple can curdle milk and switch it bitter. As such, this mix would possibly style disagreeable if you happen to eat these two elements on their very own, however you shouldn’t fear about combining them in treats like smoothies or pineapple upside-down cake.
Abstract
An animal examine busts the parable that pineapple and milk hurt your well being when mixed. These meals are utterly suitable for eating collectively.
Mixing pineapple and milk might lead to milk curdling, which is commonly confused with spoiling.
The distinction is that an overgrowth of spoilage micro organism causes spoiled milk, whereas within the case of curdled milk, the enzyme bromelain in pineapple is the trigger.
Bromelain belongs to a bunch of enzymes often called proteases, which break proteins aside by reducing their amino acid chains. Bromelain acts upon casein, the principle protein in milk (
Whereas spoiled milk will be unsafe to drink, curdled milk isn’t unsafe — simply bitter.
Actually, mixing pineapple juice with milk is widespread in Indonesian cheesemaking, which counts on milk curd formation to supply smooth cheeses (6).
But, this observe typically creates a bitter style as a consequence of a rise in bitter amino acids, similar to tryptophan and proline, when bromelain breaks casein aside (6, 7).
Abstract
Mixing pineapple and milk might result in curdled, bitter-tasting milk as a result of impact of pineapple’s bromelain on milk’s casein.
For those who don’t need to threat curdling your milk with pineapple, you possibly can strive a couple of tricks to get probably the most out of your recipe.
First, warmth or cook dinner the pineapple beforehand to denature the bromelain. Since this enzyme is heat-sensitive, excessive temperatures might inactivate it, stopping it from breaking casein aside and curdling the milk (
You may also go for canned pineapple or pasteurized pineapple juice, as these merchandise have already gone via a heating course of. Simply be conscious that they could include added sugar.
Lastly, you possibly can swap cow’s milk out for a plant-based product like coconut, almond, or oat milks, which have considerably decrease protein contents and aren’t as prone to curdle.
Abstract
To stop milk from curdling, cook dinner pineapple earlier than mixing it into your recipe. In any other case, you possibly can swap in canned pineapple or pasteurized pineapple juice, or use nondairy milk as a substitute.
Mixing pineapple and milk isn’t poisonous or harmful.
Nonetheless, it might lead to curdled milk as a result of impact of pineapple’s bromelain enzyme on milk’s casein protein.
If you wish to keep away from this response when following a recipe, cook dinner the pineapple beforehand, use pineapple juice or canned pineapple, or strive a nondairy milk.
