'It's a myth': experts dismiss baseless online warning about mixing durian with other foods

"4 foods that should not be eaten after durian," read the Malay-language caption of an Instagram reel on July 8, 2024, viewed more than two million times. 

"Durian cannot be eaten with carbonated drinks like Coca-Cola; caffeinated drinks cause bad effects on the heart," a man wearing a white lab coat baselessly claims in the clip.

He then falsely asserts that if someone eats durian with milk, it will cause their blood pressure to rise.

He also misleadingly warns people against drinking coffee with the fruit as he says it will cause their heart to beat faster and raise their body temperature. Eating durian with eggplant will also increase a person's body heat, he suggests.

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Screenshot of the false post on Instagram, taken on August 7, 2024

The claim surfaced online as Malaysia reached peak durian season, which usually falls between May and August and attracts locals and tourists alike to sample the famous thorny fruit (archived link).

An identical video was shared on the same user's Facebook page -- which has more than 360,000 followers -- racking up more than 1.2 million views.

The same man shared the claim on his TikTok account in 2022. 

A woman shared a similar unfounded claim here on TikTok in 2023.

Some users left comments that indicated they believed the combinations mentioned in the video were harmful.

"If so, do not eat durian because it is not good for (your) health," read one comment.

"Now I know. Thank you," said another. 

But the warnings are unfounded, experts said. AFP previously debunked similar false claims about consuming durian with cola drinks.

'Myths'

"These concerns and warnings are all myths that have long been told to us," said Fatimah Salim, director of the Atta-Ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery at Malaysia's Universiti Teknologi MARA (archived link).

She told AFP that eating durian with other foods does not trigger specific diseases as long as it is consumed in moderation.

"There will be no harmful chemical reactions in the digestive system," Fatimah said. 

However, she warned that those with chronic diseases -- such as kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes -- should limit the quantity of durian they eat, as it is high in potassium which can affect the contraction of heart muscles.

Durian is also high in sucrose and glucose, which can raise blood sugar levels, she said.

"Patients with chronic diabetes need to be careful about the amount of durian they consume," she said.

Mohd Sabri Pak Dek of Universiti Putra Malaysia's Department of Food Science also told AFP that "the claims have not been scientifically proven and do not have a solid basis" (archived link). 

"If you eat durian, even without milk, eggplant and coffee, the body will experience increased heat due to the sulphur compounds in the fruit," he said.