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Milk and salt

Sushruta lists salt among the things that become poison-like when eaten with milk. No study we found has tested the rule.

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What the texts say

संयोगतस्त्वपराणि विषतुल्यानि भवन्ति । तद्यथा- वल्लीफलकवककरीराम्लफललवणकुलत्थपिण्याकदधितैलविरोहिपिष्टशुष्कशाकाजाविकमांसमद्यजाम्बवचिलिचिममत्स्यगोधावराहांश्च नैकध्यमश्नीयात् पयसा ॥ ८॥
saṃyogatastvaparāṇi viṣatulyāni bhavanti | tadyathā- vallīphalakavakakarīrāmlaphalalavaṇakulatthapiṇyākadadhitailavirohipiṣṭaśuṣkaśākājāvikamāṃsamadyajāmbavacilicimamatsyagodhāvarāhāṃśca naikadhyamaśnīyāt payasā || 8||
Other things become like poison when combined. For example, one should not eat together with milk: creeper fruits, kavaka, karira, sour fruits, salt, kulattha, pinyaka, curd, oil, virohi, flour foods, dried vegetables, goat or sheep meat, liquor, jambava, chilichima fish, godha or pork.[1]

Sushruta says these pairs become like poison, and gives no reason for salt in particular. He makes no exception for rock salt and sets no waiting time. Vagbhata's Ashtanga Sangraha also names salt with milk.[1][2]

The modern view

We have not found a modern study that tests salt eaten with milk. The comparison to poison is the text's own, not a finding from any study.

Classical text only

Questions people ask

Is rock salt (sendha namak) different?

The texts we opened make no exception for it. Sushruta's word is lavana, salt, with no kind named.[1]

Related

Food

Milk and curd together

Sushruta says not to eat curd with milk, and calls such pairs poison-like. No study we found has tested the rule.

Food

Milk and sour fruits

Charaka's own example of a bad food combination is sour food with milk. No study we found has tested the rule.

Food

Milk and fish

Charaka says fish and milk clash and can spoil the blood. No study we found has tested the rule.

Sources

  1. Sushruta Samhita, Sutra Sthana 20.8 (Hitahitiya Adhyaya), NIIMH e-Sushruta edition.
  2. Ashtanga Sangraha, Sutra Sthana 9.3, SARIT corpus e-text (Athavale 1980 edition).

Awaiting review by The Good Vaidya Medical Board. Prepared from the sources below and checked against each one.

Published 4 November 2026 · Last updated 4 November 2026

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