Health Warning On Excessive Durian Consumption

[george]

Thailand slaps health warning on excessive durian consumption

BANGKOK: -- To many foreigners, durians are considered something of a liability simply because of their pungent smell, but Thailand's Ministry of Public Health issued a warning against excessive durian consumption because of its high calorific content.

The move comes after the death of a Singburi civil servant on Tuesday who died, literally, of a surfeit of durians, having eaten four in close succession.

While urging the public not to become too fearful of the effects of durian consumption, Ministry of Public Health spokeswoman Nittaya Chanrueng warned on Wednesday that certain groups of people had to exercise caution when eating the fruit.

Nittaya conceded that durians were nutritious, tasty and sweet, but warned that this came at a price - a high calorific value.

"Nutritional analysis of durians by the Nutrition Division of the Department of Health shows that different species of durian have different energy values", she said, adding that this ranged from 181 calories per 100

grammes for long-stemmed durians to 129 calories for kradum durians.

In the case of candied durian, the calorific value rose as high as 340 calories.

This meant that a 2-kilogramme mon thong durian - one of the most popular varieties - with a peeled weight of around 600 grammes would give a total of around 978 calories.

Eating four of these, in other words, would give an instant energy burst of 4,000 calories, twice the daily requirement for the average person.

The ministry spokeswoman advised the consumption of no more than two segments of durian a day.

"People who are already overweight or obese, together with people with high blood pressure, heart conditions and diabetes, should eat durians in limitation and with caution", she said.

She added that even people without such conditions should exercise after eating durian in order to burn off the excess energy.

She also urged the public to follow the traditional practices of eating durians, the 'king' of fruit, with mangosteens, the 'queen' of fruit, as the latter fruit helped prevent stomach aches after the consumption of

durians.

Source: --CNA

[Wolfie]

I've also been told that drinking alcohol shortly before or after consuming Durian is bad for you, giving you stomache aches/cramps and making you feel sick.

Now as i cant stand durian, i cant verify this with personal experience

[maerim]

Now as i cant stand durian, i cant verify this with personal experience

I love 'em but you know the Thai's.

My missus says I should not eat them when I drink whisky as they are an "heating " fruit and therefore I am consuming two heating foods.

She also reckons I should not eat them when I have a cold,I of course in the name of scientific research do both.

This is a long term experiment as I have been doing it for over fifteen years now, unpaid of course.

[ayakiawe]

I normaly eat only "durian ban".

This is the non-sprayed, non-grafted, tree rippened, natural durian fruit only.

The rest of SE Asia thinks Thai durian is junk mostly. They always let the fruit fall before taking the fruit. Why because its ripe and ready to eat! Will digest the right way too sort of like properly baked bread!

They know a lot more about durian than they do here in Thailand too!

There are other bigger problems with durian too!

check out this web page from Koh Samui.

http://www.durianpalace.com/Thai_durian_agrochemicals.htm

Enjoy the king (of fruit) but know what you are doing!

Organics work for Thailand!

for more info:

[email protected]

[castelleone]

Somewhere I have heard, Durian is supposed to have the natural effect of a Viagra pill. Could that be true or only too good to be true?

[drbones666]

I can't eat anything which can't come near my nose.

I've never heard of death by excessive caloric consumption. The guy was diabetic mayhap?

[Snark]

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[Pink Mist]

I am not a big eater of durian, don't dislike and not my all time favourite fruit, where can my vote go?

My Sister-in Law goes crook at me for eating too many Longans, she reckons they are a heating food, one time I got a chest cold and she blamed them for it. I still eat them by the tonne though.

Any one heard of this?

[Mr_Pedantic]

Looks like sh*t, smells like sh*t, tastes like sh*t

[Snark]

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[Crash999]

However, once the brain gets this new odor recatagorized, which often takes some time, one discovers the durians odor to be completely different and usually quite enjoyable.

Yeah the odor is something completely different... but it still smells awful. Never been able to bring myself to eat Durian, but I did sample some Durian ice cream and guess what? It tasted like the smell... yuck!

One thing I *do* like, however, is fried Durian chips. Now that's good stuff.

[NedKelly]

WhenI was younger Ihated loives. But I noticed everyone would be eating olives at parties or bbq's so Idecided I had to train myself to eat them. now I love them but will still only eat 5 or 6.

i was the same with Durian. But now I like certaintypes like Mong Thon........recently got some at Non market....bloody delicious especially if put in the fridge for a while after you discard the hard shell.

Hey I eat Vegenite too so maybe that explains something...hey Bronco !!

[Snark]

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[surin]

Looks like sh*t, smells like sh*t, tastes like sh*t

must be sh*t!!

[maerim]

Somewhere I have heard, Durian is supposed to have the natural effect of a Viagra pill.

Not sure about that but celery is supposed to work well if the old fella is a bit limp.

You use it as a splint.

[A. BOOZER]

Have never tasted or eaten sh*t, but thoroughly enjoy eating durian, as I do most Thai fruits and foods. Apart from that available at certain burger chains, what do other forum members regard as the most distasteful food in Thailand?

[Boon Mee]

When I was a dumb/naive Farang...hopefully a little smarter now...I ate my first Durien and Loved it! The only problem came a little later since I also drank a big bottle of Singha Beer along with it. Never again... Just eat Durian by itself, no booze.

[otherstuff1957]

My lovely wife really likes Durian. However, she warned me that eating too much Durian can cause you to burst in flames!

[Dove]

Looks like sh*t, smells like sh*t, tastes like sh*t

Please be more polite because you are talking about food. If your shit smells like durian taste like durian please check if you have thorns on your bottoms and genitals.

To my asian friends they can't stand the smell of certain cheese but they don't describe their distaste for it like you do.

[brubo1]

In Singapores China Town there are Durian ONLY restaurants. Sounds like the death knell for those types of menu's!

[paulsenp]

I normaly eat only "durian ban".

This is the non-sprayed, non-grafted, tree rippened, natural durian fruit only.

The rest of SE Asia thinks Thai durian is junk mostly. They always let the fruit fall before taking the fruit. Why because its ripe and ready to eat! Will digest the right way too sort of like properly baked bread!

They know a lot more about durian than they do here in Thailand too!

Is there such a thing as "the right way" to harvest and eat durian?

Many would say, that when a fruit is allowed to drop from the tree, then it is not ripe but overripe. Besides, it is often being damaged when hitting the ground.

The thais usually pick the durian from the tree just before it would otherwise drop by itself. Since most of the fruits are not eaten right away but are being transported to other parts of the country or even exported, they need to be picked from the trees early enough to allow for travelling time. The ripening process does not stop when the durian is being picked.

If people in the other SE Asian countries know much more about durian than thais do, why is it that Thailand is by far the largest producer and exporter of durian?

It is true, that in the other countries they grow more varieties than they do in Thailand, but that does not mean that the individual fruitgrower in t.ex. Malaysia is more knowledgeable than his thai colleague.

[cutethaigirl]

Love them!!

One a day last week but will slow down now after reading that!

NEVER mix with alcohol unless you like fires inside you.

It is classed as hot food as is alcohol. Should be warnings on them as foreigners may not know this.

High in calories for sure and good a creating a bit of wind.

Try somtam followed by durian. Double the effect!!

Guess in moderation all ok??

CT

[A. BOOZER]

Try somtam followed by durian. Double the effect!!

So it's you that responsible for global warming!

[astral]

Does anyone realize exactly what that warning is saying?

The ministry of public health has issued an official warning in regards to consumption of a certain food.

This warning is apparently issued without a morbidity analysis and report. Anyone here know what a morbidity report is? The factual evidence.................

With this sort of logic, all eating annd drinking will soon be banned.

I feel sure that water is bad for us.....................?

There goes the final vestige of Thai credibility, down the drain!!

[tracer0]

Having been here 18 years, I like durian. BUT there are many different kinds.

In Phuket there is what locals call the 'Phuket' Durian, much sharper in taste and meat morte white then the yellow ones...

Oddly enough in my experience in Malaysia they like this sharper tasting fruit like in Phuket. Tourists no doubt go for the more yellow meate without big seeds.

I survived more then 4-5 durians in one day and I am not slim...

Sex stimulance: its a know fact that if you have a girlfriend and want to stimulate her, feed her cheese/chocolate. Its the calories which do mit so likely durian does as well unless you cannot stand the smell. Reminds me, I havent seen one fruit from our farm this year so it needs further checking who is eating my viagra... (g)

[khunopie]

Fantastic. I will attempt suicide by durian. I will buy 6 ripe durian and a banana and do myself in. The banana will put me over the top. God Bless.

[maerim]

The banana will put me over the top. God Bless.

It might just do that if you are trying this novel way of saying goodbye in a condo in Pattaya.

[Johpa]

Is there such a thing as "the right way" to harvest and eat durian?

The difficulty with Durians is that they seem to have a very narrow window for proper eating ripeness. Within those few days they are, IMHO, indeed one of the world's great fruits. But outside that narrow window only the most hard core aficionado, like my wife, can enjoy them. And anyone who has raised a child or lived on a farm knows they do not smell like s***.

[sonthaya]

Tastes great, but the smell??????????????????????

[george]

Thai man 'overheats'

CHIANG MAI: -- An elderly man in northern Thailand died yesterday after eating a large amount of durian, a pungent but wildly popular fruit that can overheat the body's metabolism.

Thavin Chaiya, 68, bought one of the large, brown, prickly shelled fruits on Sunday in the northern province of Chiang Mai and was feasting with friends on the durian's yellow flesh.

Villagers were quoted by The Nation newspaper as saying Thavin suddenly called for water and then his eyes bulged and he fell to the floor and began convulsing. He died on the way to hospital.

Medical officials said he was the second person to die from eating durian in the past month.

Dr Suwat Wiriyapongsukij, a former president of the Rural Doctors Society, warned that elderly people are especially vulnerable to the heat generated by eating durian.

He said people who eat the fruit should also drink plenty of water and eat "cooler" fruits such as mangosteen to prevent the body from overheating.

Medical authorities also advise against drinking alcohol while eating the highly sulphuric durian fruit or eating it after dark, because it can interfere with sleep.

-- DPA 2004-05-31