Durian and beer incident
Durian is widely considered the King of Fruits in Thailand because of its strong smell and rich, creamy texture. As a result, Thais and fellow Southeast Asians have flocked to sample this season’s batch of fruits.
Along with its recent surge in popularity, however, came warnings not to consume durian with beer.
Ms. Leeta Kesi is a Thai woman who recently had this infamous combo and landed in the hospital.
Let’s see why this seemingly innocent durian-beer pairing resulted in this unfortunate event.
More on Thais and The King of Fruits:
- Woman loses ~$6K in durian MLM
- Lady donate durian to community pantry
- Thai gym owners sell durian amid Covid-19 closure
Shivery symptoms after consumption
Ms. Kesi reportedly indulged in a few pieces of durian on 22nd May 2021, followed by some beer. The notorious combo then caused her to unexpectedly vomit multiple times, and experience additional symptoms like shivering and dizziness.
Image credit: Siamrath
The Emergency Medical Response (EMR) team then took Ms. Kesi to Trat Hospital due to the severity of her symptoms. Currently, she’s under the care of medical professionals, reported Work Point News 23.
The dangers of mixing durian and alcohol
Ms. Kesi’s symptoms were caused by the high sulphur content in the durian, which disrupts the breakdown of alcohol in the body.
Image credit: Thailand Stack
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba, Japan experimented with durian and alcoholic beverage extracts. They proved that the properties of durian deactivated the chemicals required to break down the toxic properties of alcohol – a thesis echoed in a report published by Med India.
Consume durian in moderation
Even though the creamy and pungent-smelling fruit may be irresistible to many, it still needs to be consumed responsibly and in moderate amounts.
We’d suggest curbing your cravings for tropical fruits paired with alcohol with safer but equally delicious choices like mango or rambutan, in order to balance out their strong flavors.
If you regularly consume durian, do share your personal hacks with us below.
Cover images adapted from: Siamrath (Left), Thailand Stack (Right)
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