Digestion of
Protein and Starch
Problems arising
from Mixing Protein and Starch
Prevention is
Better than Cure
The Hay Diet, also known as ‘food
combining’, consists of five basic rules:
Not combining proteins and
starches at the same meal is the main principle of the diet. Proteins are concentrated animal proteins
such as meat, poultry, fish and cheese.
Carbohydrates are concentrated starches such as grains, cereals, bread,
potatoes, and sugars.
Proteins need an acid medium for
digestion. When animal proteins are
eaten, hydrochloric acid is produced in stomach, which activates the enzyme
pepsin, which splits and digests proteins.
This process can only take place in a wholly acid medium. This acid medium is neutralized by the
presence of a high starch or sugar with its accompanying alkalies, and the
proteins are incompletely digested.
Carbohydrates need an alkaline
medium for digestion. This process
begins in the mouth with the enzyme ptyalin, which starts to break down the
starches before they enter the small intestine, where they are further reduced,
and where main digestion takes place.
The presence of meat or other acid-compelling foods, or acid fruits,
upsets the alkaline medium necessary for the intestinal digestion of starches.
In brief, when high starches and
high proteins are mixed at the same meal, there is too much acid to allow
continued alkaline reduction of the starch, and too little acid to start
digestion of the protein. This can
result in a wide range of health problems.
Even if you are not suffering from
an acute or a chronic illness, and do not need to lose weight, you could still
achieve an improvement in your vitality and enjoyment of life by following this
simple regime.
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