ACCORDING to Asian folklore, eating the famously pungent durian – known as the “king of fruits” – along with alcohol can kill you. Now intrepid researchers have confirmed there may be some truth in this supposition. It is the first time combining a fruit with booze has been scientifically linked to an adverse reaction.
John Maninang and Hiroshi Gemma from the , Japan, wondered if the reported side effects were due to durian’s high sulphur content impairing alcohol breakdown. In test tubes they found that durian extract inhibited the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase – an enzyme that clears toxic breakdown products – by up to 70 per cent (Food Chemistry, ).
Detractors complain about the rotting smell of durian, says Gemma. “Now we know that it may smell of danger too.”
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