Can Pregnant Women Eat Durian?

Medical Video: Is It Safe To Eat Durian In Pregnancy? Here’s Why You Should Stop Eating Durian!
The risk of consuming excessive durian
Increase blood sugar
Being overweight or obese
Myth about the dangers of pregnant women eating durian
The fetus will overheat
High cholesterol levels
Durian benefits for pregnant women

Medical Video: Is It Safe To Eat Durian In Pregnancy? Here’s Why You Should Stop Eating Durian!

In various Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, durian is one of the fruits that has become a favorite of many people. Many are crazy about this fruit until the term hangover appears. Although known to be very delicious, durian has some of its own risks to health. So, in Indonesia, pregnant women are usually not advised to consume durian because it can endanger the fetus or the baby in the womb. However, is durian really dangerous and should be avoided altogether by pregnant women?

Until now there have been no studies that prove the negative impact of durian on pregnant women. However, that does not mean pregnant women can enjoy durian as much as they want. Pregnant women are not prohibited from consuming durian, but pay attention to portions. According to Dr. Gordon Lim, an obstetrician and Dr. Patrick Chia, perinatologist, should women who do not eat durian excessively.

The risk of consuming excessive durian

If pregnant women eat too much durian, there are some side effects that threaten the health of pregnant women and the fetus or the womb. Consider the following information to understand what are the effects of consuming too much durian for pregnant women.

Increase blood sugar

Although durian doesn't taste too sweet, this fruit stores very high sugar levels. According to a study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, eating foods and beverages that are high in sugar will increase the risk of a baby being born too big and heavy, and can even lead to obesity in infants during childhood. In addition, if pregnant women have gestational diabetes or there is a history of diabetes in the family, you should avoid this fruit first.

Being overweight or obese

The calories and carbohydrates contained in the fruit king from Southeast Asia are very high. In one grain of durian fruit contains 54 to 60 calories. So, eating too much durian fruit can make pregnant women excess calories, especially for pregnant women who are overweight or obese. This can lead to gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and urinary tract infections. In some cases, being overweight also risks disrupting epidural anesthesia during the delivery process. So you should pay attention to the portion of durian consumed during pregnancy, do not overdo it and exceed reasonable limits.

Myth about the dangers of pregnant women eating durian

Maybe you have heard various myths about the dangers of durian for pregnant women. However, these things usually come from word of mouth from generation to generation, not from scientific research or medical advice. Here are the myths of the dangers of durian that many people trust and the facts.

The fetus will overheat

Many people believe that durian will make the body overheat so if pregnant women consume it, the fetus will overheat. This myth originally spread from the ancient beliefs of the Chinese people brought to Southeast Asia. However, there is no scientific evidence or case examples of known heat-related fetal complications. In fact, if a pregnant woman eats durian in a reasonable amount it will actually get a variety of durian properties that are good for pregnancy.

High cholesterol levels

Durian is often touted as a fruit with very high cholesterol levels. Eating durian can increase blood pressure, especially for pregnant women. This myth is not true at all. In fact, this fruit does not contain cholesterol at all. Cholesterol is usually found in foods that contain saturated fats such as red meat, milk derivatives, or seafood. Durian actually contains unsaturated fats which are good for reducing levels of bad cholesterol in the body. So, pregnant women who have high cholesterol levels do not need to worry anymore to consume durian.

Durian benefits for pregnant women

If not consumed in excess, durian actually saves a myriad of benefits for pregnant women. Durian is rich in potassium needed by pregnant women to balance blood pressure and fluid levels in the body. Potassium can also help help reduce the swelling that often occurs during pregnancy. Durian also contains organo-sulfur and tryptophan which can help fight bacterial and fungal infections.