What the texts say
तथाऽऽम्राम्रातकमातुलुङ्गनिकुचकरमर्दमोचदन्तशठबदरकोशाम्रभव्यजाम्बवकपित्थतिन्तिडीक- पारावताक्षोडपनसनालिकेरदाडिमामलकान्येवम्प्रकाराणि चान्यानि द्रव्याणि सर्वं चाम्लं द्रवमद्रवं च पयसा सह विरुद्धम्
tathā''mrāmrātakamātuluṅganikucakaramardamocadantaśaṭhabadarakośāmrabhavyajāmbavakapitthatintiḍīka- pārāvatākṣoḍapanasanālikeradāḍimāmalakānyevamprakārāṇi cānyāni dravyāṇi sarvaṃ cāmlaṃ dravamadravaṃ ca payasā saha viruddham
Likewise amra, amrataka, matulunga, nikucha, karamarda, moca, dantashatha, badara, koshamra, bhavya, jambava, kapittha (wood apple), tintidika, paravata, akshoda, panasa, narikela, dadima and amalaka, other things of this kind, and everything sour, liquid or solid, are incompatible with milk.[1]
Charaka names kapittha right after jamun in his list of fruits incompatible with milk, a list that ends with 'everything sour, liquid or solid'. Kapittha is not bel, which the texts call bilva and which is not in this list.[1]
The modern view
We have not found a modern study that tests wood apple eaten with milk. The rule comes from the classical text alone.
From the classical texts
Related
Food
Milk and sour fruits
Charaka's own example of a bad food combination is sour food with milk. Sushruta and Vagbhata make the same rule.
FoodMilk and ber (jujube)
Charaka lists ber (badara) among the fruits not to take with milk, along with everything sour, liquid or solid.
FoodMilk and jamun
Charaka and Sushruta both list jamun among foods not to take with milk. Sushruta counts the pair among those that become like poison.
Sources
Updated 4 November 2026
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