Netizen Posted Scientific Explanation To Why Drinking Salt Water From Durian Husks ‘Cool You Down’

Do you love eating durian? And if you do, have you heard of people asking you to drink salt water from the durian husk because it’ll “cool you down”?

Yes, mom, I’m looking at you.

Well, if you’ve been doing it all this while, you’d be glad to know that all your efforts didn’t go to waste.

At least according to this netizen, @syafawaniiiii.

Cue: Scientific Explanation

On 5 July 2019, a curious Twitter user, @pineabul, took to the platform to ask a simple question no one thought to ask.

I still drink from durian carpel to avoid feeling feverish. What’s the science behind this? pic.twitter.com/eFcR7cyc8N

— 🍍💛🍌 (@pineabul) July 5, 2019

While we’re like, oh hey, I never thought of that, somebody apparently did. And it made logical sense.

User @syafawaniiiii explained that durian contains certain chemicals that are similar to garlic, which makes you feel like you’ve eaten something spicy.

Said chemicals activate the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA 1) receptors which makes us feel things like pain, cold and itch.

Then, he explained that by running water over the skin (of the durian) releases electrophilic aldehydes which neutralises the sulphur containing compounds in your body when you drink the water.

TCM Also Believes In Salt Water Treatment

Traditional Chinese Medicine also believes in drinking salt water to bring down the heatiness of the fruit.

However, they’re more of the belief that salt water can help reduce toxins and heatiness, and not because of the durian husk.

By the way, did you know?

Durian Season’s Almost Over

According to the folks at Penang Agriculture Department, they predicted that within ten days, all the durians would have fallen, which means there won’t be additional fresh durians coming our way.

They said, “Most of the cloned durians have all dropped and only D15 is still ripening on the trees.”

Now, don’t be shocked by the word “cloned”:  they’re not durians made from leather that’s coloured in yellow.  It just refers to the different types of durians.

Any durians that are still going to drop after that might be of lower quality, as the trees are now preparing for the next season and therefore not “feeding” the remaining durians.

And this year could be the shortest mid-year durian season so far, according to agriculture officer Ahmad Razali Abdul Razak from Penang.

Durian vendors there also agreed. One of the vendors usually load their durians into six lorries (you would be able to spot those big lorries ferrying durians early in the morning in Singapore), but now, he’s starting to load them only in one lorry.

So if you’re still having a durian urge, it’s time to stuff yourself with as many durians as possible now.

Just remember to drink salt water from the shell, eh?