The simplistic view of food combining is that carbohydrates and protein foods should be separated because they are digested differently. The fact that eating certain kinds of beans produces flatulence is often quoted as a negative effect, because beans contain both protein and carbohydrates. However, it is now known that this is not the reason for beans' boisterous reputation.
Some beans contain proteins such as lectin, which cannot be digested by the enzymes in our digestive system, even when eaten alone. These proteins can, however, be digested by the bacteria that live in the large intestine. So when you eat beans you feed not only yourself but also these bacteria. After a good meal of lectins, these bacteria produce gas, hence the flatulence. It has got nothing to do with food combining. Many cultures throughout the world have evolved to eat a diet in which beans or lentils are a staple food - but they suffer no digestive problems.
(By Patrick Holford from The Optimum Nutrition Bible)
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