- Home
- Health Center
- Health Info
- The King Of Fruits: 6 Interesting Facts
Nutrition
The King Of Fruits: 6 Interesting Facts
The King of Fruits and its Health Effects
We know that oranges can boost your immune system; and carrots are good for your eyes! But how much do we know the Durian and its health effects? Here are 6 interesting facts of how the King of Fruits affects your health:
1. Nutritional Content of Durians
The table below shows the nutrition value of 100g of durian pulp1. As observed, the durian fruit is highly nutritious, containing many types of minerals and trace elements. Durians have high levels of vitamin C and beta carotene. It is noted that the carbohydrate and potassium content of durians are relatively high.
Nutrient | Value per 100 g |
Water | 64.99 g |
Energy | 147 kcal |
Protein | 1.47 g |
Total lipid (Fat) | 5.33 g |
Ash (Minerals) | 1.12 g |
Carbohydrates | 27.09 g |
Fiber, total dietary | 3.80 g |
Calcium, Ca | 6.000 mg |
Iron, Fe | 0.430 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 30.000 mg |
Phosphorus, P | 39.000 mg |
Potassium, K | 436.000 mg |
Sodium, Na | 2.000 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 0.280 mg |
Copper, Cu | 0.207 mg |
Manganese, Mn | 0.325 mg |
Vitamin C | 19.700 mg |
Thiamin | 0.374 mg |
Riboflavin | 0.200 mg |
Niacin | 1.074 mg |
Pantothenic acid | 0.230 mg |
Vitamin B-6 | 0.316 mg |
Folate, total | 36 µg |
Vitamin B-12 | 0 µg |
Vitamin A, RAE | 2 µg |
Retinol | 0 µg |
Carotene, beta | 23 µg |
Carotene, alpha | 6 µg |
Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg |
Vitamin A, IU | 44 IU |
Cholesterol | 0 mg |
2. The sugar content of Durians
Durian flesh contains high levels of sucrose, fructose and glucose. The concept of the glycemic index (GI) classifies foods based on the blood glucose response after food consumption. High GI diets may have undesirable health effects especially on people with diabetes. Durian flesh is known to have a GI of 49 which is high2. To put this into context, see the table2 below:
Fruit (Portion size) | Glycemic Index |
Pineapple (943g) | 82 |
Papaya (543g) | 58 |
Watermelon (893g) | 55Ki |
Durian (207g) [about 4-5 pulps of durian flesh] | 49 |
White rice (1 cup) | 45 |
Apple (medium) | 19 |
White bread (1 slice) | 14 |
3. How Durian affects your Blood Pressure
A 2016 randomised controlled study by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) involving 32 healthy male subjects (age 20-22 year olds) studied the effects of durian consumption on blood pressure and heart rate. The study found that consuming 250g to 500g of durians had no effect on blood pressure over 24 hours.3
* After removal of the seeds, five pulps of durian flesh weighed 250 g while 10 pulps weighed 500 g.
4. How Durian affects your Heart Rate
The same study found that a consumption of 500g of durians significantly increased the average heart rate of subjects from 80 beats per minute to about 90 beats per minute after 1 hour. However, the heart rate returned to normal after that and remained normal over 24 hours.3
5. How Durian affects your Potassium Levels
Durians have a higher content of Potassium as compared to bananas. The potassium content is 426mg for every 100g of durian flesh versus 358mg in 100g of banana. Over-consumption may lead to hyperkalemia. This medical condition can be threatening to patients with end stage kidney failure as they are unable to excrete potassium efficiently. A case report in 2009 in a Johor Bahru hospital described a 48 year old lady with kidney damage was admitted to the hospital and presented with a heart attack. The doctors discovered that she had high blood levels of potassium. The team found that the patient had consumed durians the day before and that she was late for her previous dialysis session by a day. The patient was treated and discharged after 3 days and was advised not to eat durians anymore.4
6. Why do Durians smell?
This health fact is significant to those who either love or hate the smell of durians. The infamous fragrance of durian is traced to its sulphur compounds namely ethanethiol and disulphide derivative2. The health effects consuming these sulphur compounds are unknown.
References:
- Exploring the Nutritional Contents and Benefits of Durian (Durio zibethinus). MC Tan & S Asohan. University Teknologi Malaysia. (Web accessed July 2019) Web link: http://www.utm.my/ibd/project/exploring-the-nutritional-contents-and-benefits-of-durian-durio-zibethinus/
- Effects of Durian Intake on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Healthy Individuals. E Kumolosasi, SG Teh, M Jasamai, et al. (2016) International Journal of Food Properties
- Glycemic index of common Malaysian fruits. SD Robert, AA Ismail, W Than, TMS Wolever. (2008) Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
- Durian induced hyperkalemia. CLB Leo, WS Leong, CS Tieh & CK Liew. Jabatan Kardiologi, Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru. Case Report. 2011.
Latest Health Info
Understanding Glycemic Index(GI): A Guide for Diabetes
Managing diabetes involves a lot of careful decision-making, especially when it comes to food. One crucial tool in this management ...
Tips to Safety Cleanout Your Medicine Cabinet
Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinet: A Quick Guide Is your medicine cabinet overflowing with half-used or expired medicines? Then it’s ...