The durian may be considered notorious out of all tropical fruits. With a uniquely prickly appearance, the fruit is famous for its unique, delicious taste, described as creamy and sweet with hints of bitterness. It’s used in various South East Asian cuisines, sweet desserts, and savory dishes.
However, its smell is more infamous, described as extremely pungent smell and downright sickening. Because of this, durian is always considered a ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ kind of fruit.
Despite its contentious reputation, durian is still a popular edible fruit in Southeast Asia, most notably in the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. It’s even named the “king of fruits” in some regions. But there’s more to the durian than a tasty treat.
It’s also very nutrient-dense and packed with many health benefits. From improving sleep to support bone health, the health benefits of durian are countless. It’s considered one of the most nutritious fruits of the many tropical fruits, and it’s more than a tasty and smelly fruit. Read on to learn more about the durian fruit nutrition facts.
The “king of fruits” is more than just a fancy nickname for the durian. There’s also a bit of basis to this title thanks to its high amounts of vitamins and nutrients. Vitamin C is a necessary part of collagen production, which is important for maintaining healthy skin.
The high amounts of antioxidants help fight stress and visible signs of stress, such as helping to combat skin pigmentation and uneven skin tone and even lessen the immediate onset of wrinkles. There’s also its role in hair growth, where consuming durian may help promote healthy and shiny hair.
Taking the fruit as its own or as a dish can provide these vitamins to your body to help you get better skin, give you a healthier glow, and improve your appearance through better nutrition.
Durian boosts energy. It’s full of energy-boosting carbohydrates to keep you sustained through the day or revitalize you during long work hours.
The fruit’s flesh is rich with these carbohydrates, which you can eat by itself or as part of a dish (such as the fried tuna belly with durian found in Davao, Philippines). The nuts are edible and used as a snack or part of other dishes.
The nuts can be eaten boiled or roasted, providing high amounts of carbohydrates that may give you energy without consuming caffeine. Durian is also a type of ‘brain food’, which fights anxiety and provides focus and energy for the day.
There’s vitamin B6, which is important for brain health, potassium that aids focus and reduces anxiety, and healthy fats that improve thinking.
For those who have difficulty sleeping or are used to sleeping at odd hours, eating a durian might help regulate your sleep back to normal. This is because of the amino acid tryptophan that can be found in durians.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid the body needs to produce many different neurochemicals and hormones. One of these hormones is melatonin, which helps regulate the sleep cycle. Increasing your tryptophan intake may help increase your melatonin, which helps sleep better.
If you ever find yourself tossing and turning, consider some fresh durian as part of your diet.
It was once believed that durian was a fruit that would worsen hypertension. This was a myth that became too popular, making many people avoid the fruit. Now, we have had many studies disprove the connection between worsening high blood pressure and durian. In fact, the opposite is true.
There is a possibility that sufferers of hypertension may benefit from some durian in their diet. This is because of the nutrient-rich nature of the fruit, with one of those nutrients being potassium. Potassium can help control and reduce high blood pressure levels, which is important for older people and those with chronic high blood pressure.
Durians have a higher potassium level than bananas, so eating durian may improve regulating blood pressure. Having more durian in your diet may do wonders by providing greater blood pressure control and getting different nutrients for things like the skin.
The tryptophan found in the durian can do more than just regulate your sleep. Tryptophan is also the precursor amino acid for serotonin.
Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter, a type of chemical that transfers signals in the brain. It is responsible for the feelings of happiness and is why things that make us happy are called a ‘serotonin boost’.
Eating durian can help increase tryptophan in the body and improve your everyday mood. It also helps that your sleep improves, thanks to the increased melatonin. Together, anyone including durian in their diet may reap the benefits of a better overall mood.
The durian is more than just vitamins, carbs, and antioxidants. It’s also rich in essential minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and other nutrients such as copper and iron. Calcium helps build bone mineral density, while phosphorus, iron and copper help maintain healthy, strong bones.
Eating durian provides greater nutritional value to those at risk of bone diseases such as osteoporosis in the elderly and postmenopausal women. It’s even great for those who just improve their bone health while trying out a new and exciting fruit.
The antioxidant properties of durian also help inhibit cancer growth. It contains antioxidants such as vitamin C and phytonutrients; thus, durians fight free radicals. These free radicals harm the body by destroying healthy cells or encouraging tumorous growth.
In terms of digestion, durian intake is also helpful. Durian contains a lot of dietary fibre, which helps reduce indigestion and constipation by promoting the easier movement of stools in the intestinal tract.
Dietary fibre introduced into the body by eating durians can also help reduce blood cholesterol by helping to flush out excess LDL cholesterol from the body before it can damage the circulatory system and cause other cardiovascular diseases.
Durian cultivars may have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and vasoconstrictor properties. The durian leaves, for instance, are used as an antipyretic and anthelmintic, and are used for jaundice treatment and swelling. On the other hand, durian bark is used as an antimalarial in Sumatra.
In the Philippines, the durian calls Davao its home. While it’s found in many South East Asian countries, Davao City in Mindanao takes pride in making the strange and exotic fruit a centerpiece in their city’s image.
On the streets of Davao, you can find people selling fresh durian candy. Many restaurants in Davao feature durian as part of the menu. Take your pick of the durian cheesecake, pair it with some durian coffee as an afternoon snack or go for dinner with some durian curry or durian shrimp spring rolls. There are many different ways you can enjoy durian in the city, and even bring gifts for yourself and family.
The city’s architecture screams durian, with places like the People’s Park having durian-inspired designs on its welcome arch that has been featured many times in the news.
Even a gigantic durian statue at Davao International Airport greets people that enter. No matter where you look, the spirit of the durian permeates through the city of Davao. It’s safe to say that, love it or hate it, Davao is the place to be when it comes to anything related to durian.
For durian enthusiasts who want to get closer to the home of durians in the Philippines, Davao is a great place to live. Even if you don’t care about the durian, Davao is still home to many other delicacies and delights that will surely give you an exciting time.
Consider moving to Davao City and becoming one with the many sight and wonders of the city. Brittany Corp provides luxury homes all around the Philippines that give you the country’s beauty and the peaceful ambience that everyone loves. Contact us if you want to look for properties to move into and start the next chapter in your life.
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