How Much Durian Is Suitable to Eat at One Time? Detailed Explanation of Its Origins and Dietary Taboos

Durian is one of the famous tropical fruits, native to Malaysia. Several countries in Southeast Asia cultivate it in relatively large amounts, with Thailand cultivating the most. It is also grown in Guangdong and Hainan in China. Durian is most famous in Thailand, where it is hailed as the “king of fruits”. Its odor is intense: those who love it praise its fragrance, while those who dislike it complain of its stench. So, where does durian grow? How much is suitable to eat at one time? What should it not be eaten with?

1. Where does “durian” grow?

Durian is a purely tropical crop, and the phenological characteristics of durian require that its growing location have a daily average temperature above 22°C. It can be planted in frost-free areas, and parts of Hainan Province and Yunnan Province in China can develop its cultivation. Because durian needs a year-round high-temperature climate to grow and bear fruit, even in equatorial regions, at highlands above 600 m in altitude, due to falling temperatures, durian cannot be planted or cannot bear fruit.

2. How much durian is suitable to eat at one time?

Durian should not be eaten too much at one time. Durian has the effect of invigorating blood and dispelling cold and relieving menstrual pain, making it especially suitable for women troubled by menstrual pain; it can also improve symptoms of abdominal coldness and can promote a rise in body temperature, making it an ideal tonic for people with a cold constitution.

In addition, using durian shells and pig bones to make soup together is also a traditional folk dietary remedy. Experts remind that although durian has many benefits, it should not be eaten too much at one time, otherwise it easily causes internal heat in the body and can also cause “heatiness” because the stomach and intestines cannot fully absorb it.

3. What should durian not be eaten with?

The main foods that should not be eaten with durian are: mangosteen, beef and mutton, milk, cola, eggplant, etc.

1. Durian should not be eaten with crab. If the two are eaten together, it can easily cause severe stomach discomfort.

2. Although eating durian and mangosteen at the same time can avoid heatiness, it may cause constipation. This is because both fruits are rich in fiber, which absorbs water and swells in the stomach and intestines; eating too much of them instead blocks the intestines and causes constipation.

3. Durian should not be eaten with warm-natured foods, such as beef, mutton, dog meat, etc., as well as seafood. This is because these foods all belong to the category of dry-heat items, and eating them together will cause heatiness and inflammation or, due to heatiness, lead to other diseases or trigger previous illnesses.

4. Durian should not be eaten with milk. Drinking milk after eating durian is said to be more toxic than a cobra. This saying sounds frightening, but uncomfortable symptoms do appear after eating them together, because it can cause excessive caffeine poisoning that makes blood pressure spike and trigger sudden cardiac death. Some friends like to drink milk; if they accidentally eat it together with durian and discomfort occurs, they must immediately go to the hospital for gastric lavage.

5. Durian should not be eaten with cola. After eating durian, one should not drink cola, because cola is a caffeinated carbonated drink, and eating it together with durian can easily trigger sudden cardiac death.

6. Durian should not be eaten with eggplant. This is because eating eggplant together with durian will cause severe heatiness and is bad for the body.