The KING of fruits - DURIAN

 

This is one tropical fruit from Asia you either love its amazing taste or refuse to acknowledge its regal stature at the first whiff (total dislike) for its pungent smell.

As this smell can be so terrible many local hotels in the areas disallow their guests from bringing this fruit to their rooms to avoid complaints. Strangely, some foreigners who dare to taste are quickly won over by its awesome taste and never stop asking for more.

Unlike most fruits, the durian is left to drop from the tree, signaling it is ripe to eat. People in the local villages of South East Asia will clear the floor under the trees during harvest time and wait for up to two months just to pick up the fruit at its peak.

Health Benefits

Traditionally the durian fruit was seen as a powerful aphrodisiac, whilst women would eat the ashes from burnt durian skins to help them recover after child birth. It is believed that concoctions made from the leaves of the durian tree can be used to help reduce swelling and cure skin disease.

Contrary to popular belief, durian does not contain any cholesterol or saturated fats. Instead, nutritionists have claimed that it has health benefits like:

+  Help to reduce cholesterol and moderate blood pressure with its good mono-saturated fats
+  Cleanse the blood
+  Cure jaundice
+  Alleviate fevers
+  Rid yeast infections such as thrush as its high iron content helps the white blood cells in our body to make specific chemicals that kill off the infection.

Nutrients

Rich in protein, fibre, minerals and vitamins, 100g of the flesh provides 147 calories.

+ Its simple sugars like fructose and sucrose is a fast energy booster and revitalises the body almost instantly.

+ The durian is packed with vitamins such as Vitamins B (niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6) and thiamin (B1)), C and E. Its high Vitamin C content is known to aid the body in developing resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals, helping to slow down the destruction of cells from free radicals such as pollution, smoking and aging;
+ Its high levels of essential amino acid, tryptophan metabolises into serotonin and melatonin in the body - both are neuro-chemicals that can treat sleeplessness and epilepsy. People with low serotonin levels tend to be temperamental, moody and suffer from depression whilst those with high levels are usually happy and positive-minded;
+ Rich in dietary fibre, a small durian can provide 92% of the daily fibre requirement, making it a good solution for constipation problem. The fibre can help to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon;
+ Trace of minerals found include manganese, copper, iron and magnesium for their antioxidant and blood forming properties, and potassium for regulating heart rate and blood pressure to reduce fatigue, and relieve mental stress and anxiety.

Overeating?

+ Feasting on this highly nutritious fruit bulges your waistline as it is high in calories and carbohydrates. With an average 1 kg sized durian having close to 1,350 calories (one seed contains about 54 calories), giving you as much as 68% of the daily 2,000 calories recommended for an average adult. In healthy individuals, high carbohydrate content can help to replenish low energy levels quickly.

+ Durian contains simple sugars — sucrose, fructose and glucose, not suitable for diabetic patients who have to limit intake as the sugary element and potassium lead to a sudden rise of glucose level.
+ Using large amount of pesticides and hormones to cultivate the growth of this fruit is another worrying factor.
+ The heatiness in the durian may cause your body temperature to rise, but this does not make the fruit an aphrodisiac. We are taught from young to counteract this ‘yang’ element by drinking salt water on its husk.

As eating durians can become so addictive, people tend to overindulge. The best guide is to eat only two to three seeds at one go.