The Most Staggering Health Benefits of Durian

Have you heard of the king of fruits? Yes, I am referring to the smelly but delicious durian. This fruit is so delightful and is oozing with so many health benefits. Not only that, the health benefits of durian are extremely staggering, and are all for the betterment of the overall health.

The Smelly Fruit: What Is It?

Durian is a tropical fruit located in South-East Asia and is recognized by the natives as the “King of Fruits”. It is a large fruit with hard and spiky exterior and the color may range from green to yellowish brown. This fruit also confuses to jackfruit because of both have the same spiky texture. It has many varieties but only nine is recognized that are edible and only one is available at the international market and that species is called Durio zibethinus.

This fruit is recognized by many people, besides of its outside exterior, by the strong smell of it. If this fruit is already ripe, that is the stage when the smell will come out. Some people may find the smell pleasant but others find it revolting and disgusting. This fruit is known to have a long list of benefits which includes the ability to relieve anemia, helps the bone to be healthy, improve digestion, anti-aging, boost immunity, reduce blood pressure, fight cancer and depression.

List of Nutritional Value of Durian

This fruit is popular because of health benefits because this fruit contains an impressive amount of vitamins and minerals.

Here is the nutrient content of one cup (243 g):

As you can see in the above nutrition facts of apricot, it is undeniable that this fruit is considered as one of the most nutritious fruits. It has a low amount of cholesterol and sodium and also a great source of dietary fiber.

Preparation and Serving

Although the smell of the fruit may not be pleasant, the odor does not prevent the people to eat it because of its exceptionally taste. You can eat it raw or you can eat the cooked version.

Here are some serving examples:

• Tempoyak is a fermented durian and a traditional condiment in Malaysia and Indonesia.
• Durian seeds can be boiled or roasted.
• Unripe durian can be added to dishes.
• Durian is added to the famous ice kachang
• Durian flavored ice cream and shake.

Health Benefits of Durian

Here are the benefits of the fruit:

• Helps in relieving anaemia. Durian fruit is high in folate that is needed for the production of red blood cells.
• Helps the bone to be healthy. Durian contains potassium and calcium that is needed for maintaining the bones healthy. Potassium is needed in order for the bones to absorb calcium.
• Helps to improve digestion. Durian contains a large amount of dietary fiber which is important for the bowel movement and to avoid constipation.
• Helps for anti-ageing. Durian has antioxidant properties that help to clean body to eliminate the free radicals.
• Helps to boost immunity. Durian has Vitamin C that is needed in order to provide immunity against common diseases like cold and flu and also to fight back against infections and viral attacks.
• Helps to reduce blood pressure. Durian has a high amount of potassium and low amount of sodium that helps to control and regulate the flow of the blood to avoid associated medical conditions.
• Helps to fight cancer. Durian has antioxidant properties that act as protection in order to avoid the free radicals attacking the cells in the body. This is one of the most amazing health benefits of durian.
• Helps to fight depression. Durian fruit contains tryptophan, an amino acid, that is effective to relieve depression.

The Smelly Myth

There are so many people that are hesitant about a food especially if there are many myths about it. Here are some of the many myths about the fruit:

• People that have high cholesterol should not eat durian. The fruit does not contain any cholesterol but monosaturated fats that help to lower bad cholesterol.
• Durian can cause a cough and fever if you eat too much. The fruit can warm the body but not to the point that you will have a cough or fever.
• Eating durian with alcohol can be deadly. There is no evidence scientifically to prove this myth. There may be a possibility that if both taken in an excessive amount, it can cause bloating and indigestion.
• Eating durian with any cooling drink have a negative effect on health. There is no evidence scientifically that can prove that durian can’t be mixed with any cooling drink. For example, durian flavored ice-cream has both durian and milk.
• In order to reduce the heat of durian, one must to east mangosteen. There is no scientific evidence that proves this myth. The idea of eating the two together must come from the idea that both are harvested at the same time.

Conclusion

Durian is surely the “King of Fruits” because of not only because of what it looks and what it tastes but also because of the health benefits you can get from it. It may give unpleasant odor but surely the taste is worth it, and of course, the health benefits of durian are amazing. If you have hesitation about this fruit and still don’t want to eat it, I’ll tell that you have many benefits to miss.