\u201cPeople with high cholesterol should not eat durian as it will cause one\u2019s blood cholesterol levels to spike.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Soh:<\/strong>\u00a0Contrary to belief, durians contain no cholesterol. The fats which are found in durians are monounsaturated fats and these may help to lower an individual\u2019s LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels.<\/p>\n Ms Chia:<\/strong>\u00a0Durian is a fruit that has a \u2018bad\u2019 name. It is a myth that durian increases cholesterol levels as it does not contain cholesterol and limited saturated fat. When looking to reduce cholesterols levels, other parts of our diet that contributes more fat, cholesterol and calories should be first assessed.<\/p>\n The fruit is heaty and can cause coughs and even fever if you overindulge.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fruit is heaty and can cause coughs and even fever if you overindulge.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Wong:<\/strong>\u00a0The link between heatiness and symptoms of fever and cough is likely to be a Traditional Chinese Medicine concept. Scientifically, it is possible that there may be a slight increase in body temperature during digestion due to metabolic and chemical processes that arise from it. However, it does not constitute a fever nor does it lead to neither cough nor respiratory infection.<\/p>\n Mr Chew:<\/strong>\u00a0From a TCM perspective, durian is a nutritious fruit that has a strong \u2018warming\u2019 property. For those of us whose body constitutions are pre-disposed to heatiness, over-indulgence in durians can induce symptoms such as phlegmy cough, sore throat and constipation. Fever may also result in some cases.<\/p>\n \u201cEating durian together with alcohol can be lethal and also taking together with milk can be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Wong<\/strong>: There has been no conclusive scientific evidence establishing that eating durian and alcohol together may be fatal. However, due to the its relatively high fibre and carbohydrate content, excessive intake may actually give rise to heartburn and bloatedness in some people, which may be worsened with alcohol intake.<\/p>\n Mr Chew:<\/strong>\u00a0Both durians and alcohol share similar warming properties according to TCM. Taken together or separately, we would always advise moderate consumption as aggressive warming of the body\u2019s systems can be harmful.<\/p>\n \u201cTo get rid of the after-smell, pour water into the husk and drink from it. This will also help you to regulate the \u201cheatiness\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Chew:<\/strong>\u00a0There is a practice of drinking salt water from the durian husk. TCM believes that salt water has the effect of reducing toxins and heatiness, and thus can moderate the undesirable effects of eating durians. As for ridding the after-smell, we do not know of a good medical basis to support this practice.<\/p>\n \u201cDiabetics can eat durians without much worry as the fruit does not taste sugary.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Soh:<\/strong>\u00a0Individuals with diabetes need to limit their consumption of durians as the fruit has high sugar content. Three seeds of durians (depending on the size) can contain between 20 and 30 grams of carbohydrates. That is equivalent to the sugar content in half a can of regular Coke (20 grams) or one bowl of white rice (30 grams). Therefore, persons with diabetes should only eat durians in moderation and be keenly aware of the approximate amount of carbohydrates consumed at each time.<\/p>\n Ms Chia:<\/strong>\u00a0Durians is high in carbohydrates. Per 100g it has double the amount of carbohydrates compared to apples and 3-4 x more than strawberries. Thus, people with diabetes should limit the intake of durian to 1 -2 seeds as a serve of fruit.<\/p>\n Nutritional content of durian per 100 grams (about 3 fruits with seed)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
\nMYTH 2<\/h3>\n
\nMYTH 3<\/h3>\n
\nMYTH 4<\/h3>\n
\nMYTH 5<\/h3>\n
Nutritional benefits of durian<\/strong><\/h3>\n