Mohamad-Ali Salloum is a Pharmacist and science writer. He loves simplifying science to the general public and healthcare students through words and illustrations. When he's not working, you can usually find him in the gym, reading a book, or learning a new skill.
Fish and Milk: is this combination harmful?
Mohamad Ali Salloum, PharmD • May 1, 2022
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At least once in your lifetime you’ve heard someone say that combining fish with milk is harmful and you should avoid it.
I’m pretty sure most of us heard it from our grandmothers.
To give the older generations some credit, I do admit that some of the sayings or the traditions we hear about happens to be eventually correct and real after some research and studies are done.
So is this one a myth or a real thing?
Let’s dive into science now.
Scientifically the only reason to avoid this kind of combination if you’re allergic to either of the products. No study has proven that this combination do side effects in the humans.
When searching for this correlation, you will find a lot of websites talking about the topic, but you will find no valid studies discussing this issue.
Most of the websites talk about the alternative medicine called Ayurveda, a comprehensive, natural health care system that originated in the ancient Vedic times of India (1).
Another theory I have in mind is that this saying was created across generations since our ancestors did not know how to cook fish and and de-contaminate milk. They ended up having undercooked or contaminated fish and milk.
It’s enough for a person to eat just one contaminated product and get hospitalized, so what do you think if a person ate spoiled fish and milk. I can imagine that this was a crisis back then when someone got sick and there were no medications except for some herbal products.
In conclusion, as there is no proof about the opposite, we can say that this combination is not toxic and for sure it will not kill you. It depends on your preference and if you like the products together. It’s preferable to avoid it if you have any known allergy to any of the products.
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Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD
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References: Zaniletti I, Larson DR, Lewallen DG, Berry DJ, Maradit Kremers H. How to Distinguish Correlation from Causation in Orthopaedic Research. J Arthroplasty. 2022;38(4):634‑637. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] Association of Health Care Journalists. Correlation vs. Causation. [healthjournalism.org] Rush J, Ajami M, Look K, Margolis A. Statistics Review Part 10: Causality and Confounding. J Pharm Soc Wis. [jpswi.org] Biostat Prime. Correlation vs Causation: Meaning, Differences & Examples. [biostatprime.com] Koopmans E, Schiller C. Understanding Causation in Healthcare: An Introduction to Critical Realism. Qual Health Res. 2022;32(8–9):1207–1214. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
References: Very Big Brain. Somatic Memories: How Physical Sensations Trigger Past Memories and Emotions . 2023 Nov 26. [verybigbrain.com] Misattribution of arousal. Wikipedia . 2026. [en.wikipedia.org] Zimbardo P. The Misattribution of Arousal Study (Dutton & Aron) . 2026. [zimbardo.com] Higgins L. Why You Feel Anxious After Drinking Coffee . TIME. 2025 Nov 11. [time.com] Double KS. Metacognitive ability is associated with reduced emotion suppression . Scientific Reports. 2026 Jan 28. [nature.com] Merkebu J et al. What is metacognitive reflection? Front Educ. 2023 Apr 5. [researchgate.net] Meyers S et al. Cognitive Reappraisal is More Effective for Regulating Emotions than Moods . Affective Science. 2025 Jun 6. [link.springer.com]
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