7 ms·

This religious rule comes from a well known scientific observation: meat blocks calcium absorption.

knicholes 8y ago
You mean calcium blocks iron absorption. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1600930 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1600930
- veryworried 8y ago
  Yes.
MichaelApproved 8y ago
> well known scientific observation Is it though? I tried to find a source for your claim but came up with inconclusive studies, at best. Do you have any sources for this or is it just a well known myth?
jjeaff 8y ago
Well, any overlap with that scientific observation is, I'm sure, a happy accident.
delfinom 8y ago
No. That's an extrapolation protein blocking calcium absorption. But unless you eat fake American dairy products like yogurt or "American cheese", there tends to be protein in that cheese. Incidentally, oxalic acid found in spinach also blocks calcium. Also beans and such have similar effect.
- parasubvert 8y ago
  American cheese and yogurt have significant protein. American-produced fat free Greek yogurt particularly is high in protein. You may be thinking of Velveeta and Kraft Singles but they don’t qualify by the FDA to be called processed cheese, they’re a cheese product. But even they have significant protein, albeit less. https://boarshead.com/products/detail/652-american-cheese-loaf-yellow https://boarshead.com/products/detail/652-american-cheese-lo... https://usa.fage/products/yogurt/fage-total-0 https://usa.fage/products/yogurt/fage-total-0
harimau777 8y ago
I've also heard the argument that it comes from an animal welfare perspective: It seems a little ghoulish to eat a calf with its mother's milk.
- Dylan16807 8y ago
  That doesn't explain the rule as practiced.
  - harimau777 8y ago
    Good point. I'm definitely not an expert on Jewish law (my exposure to it is through reading Leviticus as a Christian). I suppose it's possible that the reason changed over time. However, now that I think about it the health reasons that others have pointed out seem to make more sense. Especially since I would presume that a cow wouldn't have the intelligence to actually be concerned about the precise manner in which you eat it.
amalcon 8y ago
Per Wikipedia (and also this one time I was chatting with a Rabbi), the rule comes from a prohibition against ritual magic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_and_meat_in_Jewish_law#Explanation_of_biblical_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_and_meat_in_Jewish_law#Ex...
cpfohl 8y ago
Uh, check your sources. History suggests a ~5000 year old document probably had little to say about calcium absorbtion. https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/15/why-does-adonai-instruct-us-to-not-prepare-a-goat-in-its-mothers-milk https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/15/why-does...
- BurningFrog 8y ago
  Of course not, but rituals that survive probably have some kind of objective survival value, so it's reasonable to try to figure out what these ancient food taboos origin really are. For example, shell fish were probably or average unhealthy to eat back in the day. So claiming God commanded The People to not eat it was the FDA implementation of its time.

You mean calcium blocks iron absorption. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1600930 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1600930

veryworried 8y ago
Yes.

MichaelApproved 8y ago

> well known scientific observation Is it though? I tried to find a source for your claim but came up with inconclusive studies, at best. Do you have any sources for this or is it just a well known myth?

jjeaff 8y ago

Well, any overlap with that scientific observation is, I'm sure, a happy accident.

delfinom 8y ago

No. That's an extrapolation protein blocking calcium absorption. But unless you eat fake American dairy products like yogurt or "American cheese", there tends to be protein in that cheese. Incidentally, oxalic acid found in spinach also blocks calcium. Also beans and such have similar effect.

parasubvert 8y ago
American cheese and yogurt have significant protein. American-produced fat free Greek yogurt particularly is high in protein. You may be thinking of Velveeta and Kraft Singles but they don’t qualify by the FDA to be called processed cheese, they’re a cheese product. But even they have significant protein, albeit less. https://boarshead.com/products/detail/652-american-cheese-loaf-yellow https://boarshead.com/products/detail/652-american-cheese-lo... https://usa.fage/products/yogurt/fage-total-0 https://usa.fage/products/yogurt/fage-total-0

harimau777 8y ago

I've also heard the argument that it comes from an animal welfare perspective: It seems a little ghoulish to eat a calf with its mother's milk.

Dylan16807 8y ago
That doesn't explain the rule as practiced.
- harimau777 8y ago
  Good point. I'm definitely not an expert on Jewish law (my exposure to it is through reading Leviticus as a Christian). I suppose it's possible that the reason changed over time. However, now that I think about it the health reasons that others have pointed out seem to make more sense. Especially since I would presume that a cow wouldn't have the intelligence to actually be concerned about the precise manner in which you eat it.

amalcon 8y ago

Per Wikipedia (and also this one time I was chatting with a Rabbi), the rule comes from a prohibition against ritual magic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_and_meat_in_Jewish_law#Explanation_of_biblical_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_and_meat_in_Jewish_law#Ex...

cpfohl 8y ago

Uh, check your sources. History suggests a ~5000 year old document probably had little to say about calcium absorbtion. https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/15/why-does-adonai-instruct-us-to-not-prepare-a-goat-in-its-mothers-milk https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/15/why-does...

BurningFrog 8y ago
Of course not, but rituals that survive probably have some kind of objective survival value, so it's reasonable to try to figure out what these ancient food taboos origin really are. For example, shell fish were probably or average unhealthy to eat back in the day. So claiming God commanded The People to not eat it was the FDA implementation of its time.