Durian Glycemic Index (GI) - Is It High or Low?

by Victoria Mazmanyan | Last updated on August 21, 2024

Medically reviewed by Ani Harutyunyan

Durian is an exotic, seasonal fruit native to South East Asia. It is famous for its pungent smell and thorny skin.

According to the study “Glycemic index of common Malaysian fruits,” the glycemic index of durian is 49±5, showing that durian has the lowest glycemic index among the other common fruits: pineapple, watermelon, and papaya.

This may be due to the high fiber and fat content found in durian (1).

Durian falls under the category of low-glycemic index foods.

There’s no need to worry about the high concentration of fat in durian since it is primarily monounsaturated fatty acids, which can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Research has found that durian has anti-hyperglycemic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-proliferative, and probiotic effects in animals (2).

Another study has shown that durian shells can potentially be used as medicinal anti-inflammatory agents (3).

However, overall, there is not enough evidence to support the pharmacology of durian in humans and its beneficial effect on human health because most of the experiments were conducted in vitro or in vivo in animals (4).

You can see the glycemic indexes of other foods on our glycemic index chart page.