Is it safe to eat durians in pregnancy?

Dr Patrick Chia answers:

It is true that some Asian communities maintain a taboo against eating durians in pregnancy. For example, in the Chinese traditional approach to well-being, durians are believed to be too “heaty” to be eaten in pregnancy. As such, many ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia advise their mothers-to-be to avoid this king of fruits.

Strictly speaking, there have been no studies about the safety of eating durians in pregnancy. At the same time, modern science has not uncovered any reason to believe it is unsafe to do so. There is certainly no reason to conclude that eating durians in pregnancy can cause high blood pressure or nappy rash in newborns.

However, a pregnant woman should eat durians in moderation as the fruit contains large amounts of sugar and carbohydrates – two medium sized seeds have about 60 calories. Durians are considered a high-glycaemic food so it is best to limit your intake of durian in pregnancy. Those with gestational diabetes should avoid eating durians because of its high sugar content.

Some researchers have highlighted the benefits of organo-sulphur and tryptophan in durians. These compounds have antioxidant effects. They also have anti-microbial, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties which may benefit pregnancy.