Its a a last month of durian fruit season here in Thailand and of course yoga practitioners dont miss a chance to fulfill their needs in nutrition! But only true gastronome can really appreciate and enjoy this very special fruit. Weather you love durian or hate it and there is no any other option. This “King of fruits” is characterized by its very unpleasant and pungent smell and even many hotels and public places have a sign “no durian”. The description of its smell varies from rotten meat, onion and garlic to combination of banana, mango, vanilla, pineapple, strawberry and papaya.
But durian is famous not only by its smell and taste, despite of very specific look, taste and smell it boasts of numerous health promoting effects. It contains high levels of dietary fiber, which are essential to the normal function of multiple systems in the body. Its a good source of vitamin C, B, antioxidants, many minerals like calcium, magnum, zinc etc.

               Consuming durian regularly very beneficially effects on health. It normalizes blood pressure and cardiovascular health, it battles aging as it has a wide variety of antioxidant properties stemming from its vitamin and organic chemical makeup that actively reduce the amount of free radicals in the body. Since durian contains thryptophan which when enters to the brains converts to serotonin which gives feeling of relaxation and happiness so you can forget about insomnia. Durian meat acts as aphrodisiac as it can produce intensified sexual libido and stamina. Eating this fruit helps to prevent cancer as vitamins, nutrients, organic chemicals function as antioxidants. Since durian is a great source magnesium, potassium, manganese, and copper, all of which play an integral role in developing and sustaining bone strength and durability. There are high levels of folic acid within durian as well which is essential component in the production of red blood cells. Durian aids in regulating blood sugar level due it rich manganese content.

Durian is the only fruit which contains organic sulfur. Sulfur is vital macronutrients and its a part of amino acids and enzymes, it is an indispensable part of the cells, tissues, organs, nerves, bone and cartilage tissue, hair, skin and nails of human, and it is involved in many biochemical reactions occurring in the body.

Not going into detailed description of nutrients (for more information please see detailed table below) we wanted to recommend to try this fruit to all who didnt have a chance to enjoy it before.

Also durian is called “hot fruit” as by consuming it the stomach temperature is increasing and some South-East Asians say you would not need a blanket while sleeping.
Its not recommended to have a big amounts of durian at one time and if combines with alcohol, can trigger side effects such as strong gastro spasms and explosive flatulence. Consuming durian is also not recommended to pregnant and breast feeding women, people suffering from hypertension,
Nutritional Value of Durian

Amount of Durian (chopped): 1 cup
Total Weight of Durian (chopped): 243 g

Nutrients
Amount
Basic Components

Protein 3.6 g
Fat 13 g
Water 158 g
Ash  2.7 g
Calories
Total Calories 357
Calories From Carbohydrate 237
Calories From Fat 108
Calories From Protein 12
Carbohydrates

Total Carbohydrate 65.8 g
Dietary Fiber 9.2 g
Vitamins

Vitamin A 107 IU
Vitamin C 47.9 mg
Thiamin 0.9 mg
Riboflavin 0.5 mg
Niacin 2.6 mg
Vitamin B6 0.8 mg
Folate 87.5 mcg
Pantothenic Acid 0.6 mg
Minerals

Calcium 14.6 mg
Iron 1 mg
Magnesium 72.9 mg
Phosphorus 94.8 mg
Potassium 1060 mg
Sodium 4.9 mg
Zinc 0.7 mg
Copper 0.5 mg
Manganese 0.8 mg