How Long After Eating Fish Can You Drink Milk? (Facts, Reasons, Consequences)

There seems to be some confusion about how long you need to wait after eating fish before drinking milk. Some people say that you can drink milk right away, while others recommend waiting a few hours.

According to religious beliefs, it is better to wait for some time to drink milk after you have eaten fish, as it can cause skin pigmentation. But there is no scientific evidence to prove that drinking milk or having dairy products immediately after eating fish can be harmful. Others say you should make a gap between the consumption of both because they’re two different sorts of protein. You can wait at least one and a half an hour after eating fish as fish takes about 90 minutes to be digested.

Facts of Taking a Gap for Drinking Milk After Eating Fish

According to the scientific viewpoint, there is no evidence that says one should not drink milk after eating fish.

It is believed that people who are prone to allergies can have an adverse reaction if they consume dairy and fish together. But there is no such evidence that suggests that everyone will have an allergic reaction.

HealthSite.com states, both fish and milk can’t cause any kind of skin disease on their own or together. Lactose intolerance or an allergy to a certain kind of fish can make your stomach hurt, cause nausea, or make you itch.

This can happen if fish and milk are eaten together, alone, or with any other food item.

If your diet contains tuna or salmon it is better to wait for 4 hours before you want to drink milk as these fishes have higher fat content and can make you feel bloated.

LEARN MORE: Is It Bad to Eat a Salad Before Bed?

Reasons to Keep a Gap Between Eating Fish and Drinking Milk 

It is advisable to keep a gap of at least 60-90 minutes between eating fish and drinking milk. This is because ingesting fish and milk together can lead to the formation of toxins in the gut.

These toxins can cause various gastrointestinal problems like indigestion, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In extreme cases, it can even lead to food poisoning.

Keeping a time gap for drinking milk after eating a fish has come from religious origins. Many Jews who follow the Kosher diet believe in not mixing meat and dairy together.

Many Muslims also follow this rule. But according to Islamic instructions, it is a myth and there has not been any saying for eating fish and milk together.

According to Ayurveda originated from India, it is considered unhealthy to mix fish and milk together as it creates a poisonous mixture in the gut which can be very harmful to our health.

So, it is said to keep a time gap of an hour or two between eating fish and drinking milk. This will help in preventing any kind of gastrointestinal problems.

LEARN MORE: Can You Eat Honey Straight From the Beehive?

What Happens When You Eat Fish and Milk Together?

There are many regional fish recipes in the world that require milk or any dairy product to them. It increases the creaminess of the meal. Many people also add milk, cream, cheese, butter to their fish recipe to make it more flavorful and delicious.

Some examples of fish dishes that include milk are:

• Indian fish curry with milk
• Baked fish with milk
• Poached fish in milk
• Fish and vegetable stew in milk
• Mac and cheese with tuna

But, if you are someone who is prone to allergies then you should be extra careful while consuming fish with milk or any dairy product as it can cause an allergic reaction. And if you have lactose intolerance then also you should not consume fish with milk as it can lead to indigestion.

Drinking Milk Tea or Milk Coffee After Eating Fish

Logically there is no waiting period for drinking milk tea or milk coffee after eating fish. You can have tea or coffee right after your seafood meal.

The tannins in the milk-tea will not have an effect on fish digestion since it is a protein. Milk coffee has no impact on fish either, so go ahead and enjoy a cup with your sushi without having to wait.

But if you want to be extra cautious, you can wait at least two hours, then it should be safe to drink milk tea or coffee. It is possible that the acidic content of the tea leaves will affect the digestion process.

If you consume protein such as fish in the meal, the acid from the tea will harden the protein content, making it difficult to digest. Drinking tea immediately after a meal with fish will also interfere with iron absorption by the body.

LEARN MORE: What To Serve With Chicken Provencal?

Conclusion

Though it is not scientifically proven, it is safe to drink milk anywhere from two hours to four hours after eating fish. The main concern with drinking milk after eating fish is the potential for food poisoning.

It is important to keep a time gap between eating fish and drinking milk because when these two foods are consumed together, it can lead to indigestion and nausea in some people.

If you do choose to drink milk after eating fish, it is best to have milk that is cold or iced. You can also have milk in the form of tea or coffee, as long as it is not too hot if you don’t have any digestion problems.

It is important to listen to your body and see how it reacts after eating fish and drinking milk together.