When I Was Young

From Health

Today • Tuesday • June 24, 2008

Eveline Gan

eveline@mediacorp.com.sg

A RELATIVE of mine gets terribly annoyed whenever people offer him durians during his drinking sessions.

As much as he loves both the fruit and his drink, he claims that they make a lethal combination and should not be consumed together.

Likewise, durian seller James Tan, who has been hawking durians for over 10 years, said that the combination can cause death, especially when the fruit is consumed with hard liquor.

“Everyone who sells durians knows this. Can die leh,” he said in Mandarin. When asked if he has ever eaten them together, Mr Tan said: “I don’t think I’ll be speaking to you if I did.”

Durian lovers may have also heard of this taboo.

Physician Tan Chong Siew, who practices at Eu Yan Sang’s TCM clinic, said that although the combination is unlikely to cause death, there is some basis to the belief that durians should not be consumed with alcohol.

He explained that this was because the strong-smelling, high-caloried fruit, which is rich in carbohydrates, protein and fat, contains “heaty” properties. So does alcohol.

“Consuming them together may result in excessive ‘heatiness’. When the body takes in these ‘heaty’ foods, some people may experience symptoms such as a dry throat, a sore throat and a dry cough,” said Mr Tan.

Other symptoms caused by excessive heatiness include headaches and nausea.

On the other hand, Ms Nehal Kamdar, a dietitian at Raffles Hospital, said that such concerns are unfounded.

“Some scientific studies have actually been conducted to investigate the validity of this belief, but at this point, it is fair to say that the consumption of durian with alcohol has not shown to be harmful,” she said.

However, Ms Kamdar cautioned about over-consuming the fatty fruit, which contains about 150 calories (an average male requires 2,100 calories while an average female requires 1,700 calories) and 3.5g of fat per 100g (about three to four seeds) and less than 1g of fibre.

She recommended two servings of fruit per day for an average person. A serving of durian (50g) — which is equivalent to having a banana or a slice of mango — includes about two small seeds.

“The durian is one of the few fruits that has a high fat content so it should be eaten in moderation. People with diabetes and those who are watching their weight should also avoid durians,” she advised.

Mr Tan added that durians also contain high levels of potassium, so those with kidney and heart conditions should also exercise caution when consuming the fruit.