Durian season is upon us, and enthusiasts (such as myself) for the king of fruits dream of having it every other day for the next couple of months. Be it before or after a meal, we know that having a seed or two of sweet, creamy durian can never go wrong… or can it? There are loads of conflicting reports online. In this Durian Guide, I’m going to discuss 3 Things You Should Avoid Eating With Durian, as well as Busting 7 Myths Associated with Durian Consumption!
Avoid Taking These With Durian!
Keep in mind that excessive anything is bad for you. The key to keeping healthy and safe is to have everything in moderation. If you don’t want to take your chances, then just avoid these altogether!
1. Alcohol
Yes, we know what you’re thinking. No, it’s not lethal. In fact, I have personally had alcohol with durian before, and yet here I am, writing this article about something that should’ve killed me. HOWEVER, having both alcohol and durian may have an unpleasant effect on your stomach. With excessive intake of heaty durian, one may experience bloatedness and heartburn, which may be worsened with alcohol intake.
2. Caffeine
Especially for non-regular coffee-drinkers, having caffeine with durian may be detrimental to your health. Caffeine in and of itself gives a spike in blood pressure, which may be further exacerbated by consumption of durian. Hence, too much of either is bad, especially when put together.
3. Heaty Food (such as Red Meat)
According to traditional Chinese medicinal concept, heaty is a property in food that will cause your body to heat up and energise. However, the same goes for durian. With a lot of these in one day, it may cause your body to heat up excessively, which may in turn cause phlegm-filled coughs, sore throat, and even fever. HOWEVER, it applies to just eating durian excessively too, as the basic concept here is that eating too much heaty food is bad for you.
Myths Around Durians That Are Just That — Myths
Some of these myths portray rather harrowing pictures — even fatality…
1. Durian Contains High Amounts Of Cholesterol
Contrary to what my mother people believe, durians actually contain absolutely no cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats, however, are found in durians. These may, in fact, help to lower an individual’s “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
2. Milk With Durian Causes Lethal Heart Attacks
In which case, I should’ve been dead many times over. Being a fresh-milk-lover myself, I’ve accompanied my durian feasts with milk many, many times. However, there has been no research on this, as well as no death reports relating to this “deadly combination”.
3. Cooling Food’s Effects When Eaten With Durian
This one’s quite weird. On one hand, some believe that eating crab (a cooling food) with durian (a heaty food) will cause your stomach to get upset as it gets confused. On the other hand, some believe that eating mangosteen (a cooling food) is good when also eating durian (once again, a heaty food). As there is no clear proof for either the advantages nor the disadvantages of pairing cooling food with heaty food, it is safe to say that this contradiction is not valid.
4. Drinking Salt Water From Durian Husk Fixes Durian-Breath
Nonsense. The reason why we drink salt water at all is because of traditional chinese medicine, which believes that salt water can hep regulate the heatiness of durians. As for the breath of death, the husk, salt, and water plays no role in curing your breath. If you don’t believe me, try doing this after eating durian, then hit a bar or club and watch how others react around you. ?
5. Avoid Having Eggplants With Durians
I have no idea how this is even a thing on the internet. I’ve seen several articles claiming eggplants and durian is a bad combination. There have been no proven effects of having the both of them together in a meal. Do not confuse this “bad combination” with an allergy to eggplant, which you may very well have.
6. Durian Is A Natural Aphrodisiac
The logic here is that because durian is a heaty food which heats your body up and energises you. If this was true, we should all have a granola bar before sex. Better yet, use the granola bar during sex so that it’ll arouse us even more and put us into overdrive.
7. Durian Is Not Sugary, Hence Diabetics May Indulge
If you’re a diabetic about to put a durian seed into your mouth as you read this, STOP! Durian is high in carbohydrates and sugar content. Flesh around three durian seeds can have sugar content equivalent to about half a can of soft drink or a bowl of rice. You may eat durian, but the key is in moderation, as with everything else. However, if you can avoid it, don’t risk it!
Disclaimer:
Note that I am not a medical professional of any kind. My highest qualification related to this field is an A-level for biology and chemistry. My findings here are based on my own extensive research online, filtered and fact-checked from everything between medical statements to poorly-written articles. You may consult a certified doctor, nutritionist, or biologist for their respective opinions.
Read Also: Critical Levels: Food Wastage at 3,000 Tonnes Per Day in Malaysia
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