Fact Check: No scientific evidence to prove durian boosts libido

Hyderabad: A Facebook post has gone viral on social media claiming that consuming durian fruit boosts libido.

The on-screen caption of the real reads, “Durian is an ancient superfood that can heal the body greatly. Let me explain, you see durian is an extremely powerful fruit that is alkaline and can start to remove any forming or existing cancer cells in the body. Durian is 160% stronger than 99% of over-the-counter medicines and pharmaceuticals. Fun fact, you can start eating Dorian and it will help greatly in increasing libido and blood flow.”

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that there is scientific evidence to prove that durian fruit can increase libido.

News Medical has defined libido as a term that is commonly used to describe a sexual drive or a desire for sexual activity. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality. Moreover, modern physicians recognize the importance of libido as one of the key indicators of general health and quality of life.

What is a durian?

Durian is a tropical fruit, known for its large, spiky and smelly custard-like flesh with huge seeds. The tropical fruit particularly grows in tropical regions around the world, particularly in Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. It would be safe to call durian one of the most nutritious fruits, as it contains a number of minerals and vitamins along with anthocyanins, carotenoids, polyphenols, and flavonoids. Many of these function as antioxidants.

Studies (here and here) suggest that durian can help in reducing the risk of breast cancer, prevent heart disease, fight infections and lower blood sugar. The claim about durian boosting libido is still unclear. There is no scientific evidence to back the claim.

It should be noted that “While these studies show promise, many have been done on animals or in test tubes. No solid claims can be made until the health benefits of durian have been confirmed by controlled studies in people," Healthline added.

Debunking the myths related to durian fruit’s increasing libido, an article on HealthXchange wrote, “The heat in the durian may cause your body temperature to rise, but this does not make the fruit an aphrodisiac. Despite the myths associated with the durian, it remains a highly prized fruit.”