Durians! Yay or Nay?

King of fruits and one of Singaporeans’ favourites – the durian. It has gotten quite a bad reputation, citing its high fat, high sugar and high total caloric value as reasons to avoid this fruit at all costs. Let’s take a closer look at this delicious fruit.

 

Nutritional value:

Serving size: 1 fruit (602g)

Total calories: 968

Fats: 32g

Carbohydrates: 163g

Dietary fibre: 23g

Protein: 9g

 

Even though durians contain a significant amount of fats and calories, the fats in durians are non-saturated and there is zero cholesterol. Thus, there are no negative effects of these fats on your health, except for the fact that too much of the stuff will make you fat (the same goes for any food actually)

 

Durians are also a good source of dietary fibre, Thiamin, Vitamin B6 and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin C.

 

The interesting thing about durians is that they contain high levels of tryptophan. This is an amino acid and a tryptamine (similar to serotonin, melatonin, and DMT). Researchers have discovered that tryptophan helps both anxious, depressed, repressed people, as well as insomniacs. Tryptophan works by raising serotonin levels in the brain. When serotonin levels increase, a euphoric feeling is felt. No wonder durians are addictive!

 

The bad news? Durians appear to be adored by all kinds of microorganisms. Over-ripe durian can ferment in the stomach - and create unpleasant bloating sensations and gut fermentation. Eating durians with other sugary foods is likely to make this problem worse.

 

In addition, durians contain very little antioxidants (due to its ability to protect itself with its thick and thorny outer layer) so don’t expect to fight cancer or aging with durians.

 

So the verdict on durians is – have them once in a while and exercise portion control. After all, they are much better than eating candies or ice cream or any other man made junk with unpronounceable ingredients.