DURIAN CRAZE GRIPS SOUTH INDIA, WOMEN BELIEVE IT IMPROVES FERTILITY

By P. Vijian

CHENNAI, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- The thorny durian, prescribed as an antidote
for infertility, may sound wacky.

However, in south India, barren women are queuing to taste these rare fruits

believing it helps women to conceive.

Durian farm owners are busy taking orders, local fruit vendors happily stick
posters describing the fruit's potency and the media is abuzz over the thorny
fruit.

The 'miracle' of the durian appears to be a new fad gripping Tamil Nadu.

"It (durian) is becoming famous among childless couples although it has not
been scientifically proven to help improve fertility.

"There has been considerable demand for the fruit and many are placing prior
orders from our farms," B. Ramakrishnan, assistant director of Tamil Nadu State
Horticultural Department told Bernama Wednesday.

The state-owned two farms in Kallar and Barliyar, in Nilgiris district of
Tamil Nadu, produce about 4,000 durians each season, the only places in India
where these fruits are widely grown.

Prices of durians have also skyrocketed in recent months, jumping from Rs300
(RM22) per kg to Rs1,000 (RM74), and demand is soaring despite the high prices,
said Ramakrishnan.

"For the past 22 years, I have been selling durians and more childless
people are buying them. I sell about 100 fruits a week. In fact, prices have
gone up now because there is a shortage.

"Women here believe it has some medicinal ingredients that can cure medical
deficiencies," added David Amalraj, 54, a fruit vendor from Ooty, a popular
southern hill station.

Fruit vendors are promoting durians, claiming they possess medicinal values
which help enhance a woman's estrogen hormone production, much needed for a
female to conceive.

But doctors in south India are rubbishing such claims, arguing that durians
have nothing to do with fertility.

"This is not true, it's pseudo-science, people give some scientific
explanation to make others believe. It has nothing do with improving hormones.

"But here (India), people believe in a lot of things, so some women believe
durian helps," Dr T. Kamaraj, a renowned Chennai-based sexologist told Bernama.

-- BERNAMA