Often confused as a variety of tomatoes, persimmons are popular as the Japanese national fruit. This sweet fruit is grown during the months of September to December and has tons of nutritional components in it.
The small, round fruit is the offering of the deciduous kaki tree that is majorly found in oriental tropical rainforests. The benefits of persimmon fruit are many as they have numerous kinds of vitamins and are rich in potassium and calcium. With these micronutrients, the fruit also has plenty of antioxidants and iron, making it an ideal source of natural nutritional supplements.
Facts About Persimmon Plants
Diospyros kaki plants have a unique round top with an average height of around 35 feet. The species is indigenous to Korea, Japan, and China and is known as Oriental persimmon or Asian persimmon. The plant has also spread its reach to various parts of North America, but the variant is Diospyros virginiana, often referred to as American persimmon.
The plants are usually erect, but some variants have thick and crooked barks. They have beautiful bluish-green leaves having unique hairy petioles. These leaves turn into various stunning orange, red, and yellow shades as deciduous plants. They bear yellowish-orange fruits that gradually turn into reddish-orange colour.
Nutritional Offerings of Persimmon
You can find numerous nutrients in adequate amounts in the persimmon fruit. It has dietary fibres and is low in calories, cholesterol, and other harmful fats. When it comes to vitamins, the fruit has a broad spectrum of them. It contains vitamin A, which aids in vision improvement. Vitamin C is another component that boosts immunity. You can also enjoy other persimmon fruit benefits such as its rich Vitamin B1 and B2 content, which is necessary for maintaining a good metabolism rate. You can also maintain your skin health by consuming this fruit, as it has a considerable amount of Vitamin E in it.
Close Account of Persimmon Fruit Benefits
The nutritional powerhouse, persimmon benefits your body in more than one way. From your heart to your skin, many organs and systems can benefit when you include persimmon in your diet.
1. Persimmon Fruit Benefits for the Immune System
Our immune system remains active when we supply enough energy-boosting sources to our body, like ascorbic acid or Vitamin C. If you have one persimmon daily, you have enough vitamin C for a whole day. The micronutrients help in improving white blood cell production, thereby improving your body’s capacity to defend you against invading foreign particles like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. When your body is immunocompromised, it cannot defend against invading organisms, which eventually makes your body prone to infections.
Persimmons also have enough vitamin A to boost your immune system. It also helps in improving your sight in the dark, thus enhancing eye health.
2. Health Benefits of Persimmon for Reducing Inflammations
Persimmon has flavonoids and vitamin C and is known for its antioxidant properties. These antioxidants actively destroy life-threatening toxins and free radicals entering your body. The mentioned elements oxidise your body’s healthy cells, keeping them from seasonal fever and other infections. They are even beneficial to battling complex health conditions, including dementia, cancer, arthritis, and diabetes.
3. Kaki Fruit Benefits for Cardiac Health
The heart is a vital organ that should be taken care of to live your life to the fullest. The health benefits of persimmon are found for the heart as well. The fruit is laden with dietary fibres and numerous unsaturated fats supplied by vitamin E. These components help in regulating the levels of cholesterol, which vastly affects your heart health. With these elements, persimmon also contains potassium, which ensures a decreased pressure within the anthocyanin elements and the arteries. The fruit also helps reduce high blood pressure, thereby keeping your pulse rate normal along with preventing arrhythmia and hypertension.
4. Persimmon Fruit Benefits for Digestive System
If you frequently have a digestive disorder, then persimmon consumption may be a great dietary remedy. The vitamin B6 present in this fruit aids in protein breakdown. It also helps in carbohydrate and fat metabolism, which keeps you active all day long as its fast metabolism aids in having high energy levels. Plus, it is a great reliever of constipation, flatulence, and bloating.
Having ripe persimmon can be an ideal option for people facing frequent stomach flues or infections. It has phytonutrients like polyphenols and tannins that have antimicrobial properties, helping reduce the growth of infecting organisms. Persimmon benefits are also seen for the functioning of the intestine as the fruit’s fibre content helps keep the gut microflora in balance.
5. Health Benefits of Persimmon for Premature Ageing
Persimmon is a treasure trove of numerous components like cryptoxanthin, lutein, vitamin A, lycopene, and beta-carotene. All these elements are known for their antioxidant properties. They decrease oxidative stress on your skin and slow the process of wrinkle formation, ultimately making you look younger with spotless skin.
6. Persimmon Fruit Benefits for Skin
Persimmon has been extensively utilised in Chinese medicines with numerous applications, including exploring persimmon fruit benefits for skin. From common pimples to treating complicated cases of eczema, you have tremendous utility for the skin. This fruit’s anti-inflammatory properties and vitamins help you get clear and smooth skin by diminishing inflammations around uneven skin and blemishes. As per certain Western studies, along with its anti-inflammatory properties, persimmon helps against enzymes like collagenase, tyrosinase, and elastase that can make your skin dull and unhealthy. It also has photo-protective benefits that keep your skin from tanning and makes it look bright and toned. The vitamins E and C in it also fruitfully fade dark spots and reduce blemishes and acne occurrence.
7. Health Benefits of Persimmon for Brain Function and Vision
The persimmon fruit contains a considerable amount of fisetin, which with its antioxidant properties, protects your brain against cognitive degeneration. Along with its benefits to the brain, it also greatly enhances vision. Persimmon is renowned for its high zeaxanthin and lutein content. Both these compounds are forms of beta-carotene gathered in your retina, which improves your eyesight.
8. Persimmon Benefits for Female
Women’s reproductive health is known to improve by regular consumption of persimmon. Studies have shown that the vitamin C content of persimmon aids in improving fertility among females. This is the reason why women are recommended to have persimmon while trying to conceive or after conceiving. Nutritionists say one persimmon a day serves enough dietary fibre (6 g). It also provides 55% of your daily vitamin A requirement according to recommended dietary allowance (RDA).
9. Persimmon Benefits for Male
Kaki fruits benefit men by helping them keep their prostates healthy. Vitamin C present in persimmon has links with diminishing the effects of detrimental health conditions, including diabetes, heart ailments, and prostate cancer. If someone is suffering from prostate cancer, advising them to have persimmon daily can help manage the associated symptoms better.
10. Persimmon Fruit Benefits for Cancer Patients
A study on persimmon revealed that the fruit can inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells. You can find catechins and carotenoids in persimmon, which are effective bioactive compounds. These compounds can diminish cancer cell proliferation associated with prostrate, oral, blood, and breast cancer. Even though the study had a few pieces of evidence, it was not enough to establish this fact. Further studies are required to prove that the fruit is effective in inhibiting cancer development.
11. Persimmon Fruit Benefits for Combating Bacterial Infections
Persimmon is effective in battling bacterial infections, which has been proven by a study conducted in 2017. It highlighted that persimmon can work against several species of mycobacterium, which are the causal agents of different lung infections. Its anti-inflammatory properties are the prime factors associated with diminishing bacterial infection.
Risks Associated with Persimmon Intake
Although persimmon has many benefits, certain risks can arise if it is consumed in quantities more than recommended. Here are the few risks of having persimmon fruit.
- On rare occasions, people may have an allergy to persimmon. If you find any kind of rashes or discomfort after having this fruit, it is better to avoid having it and get an allergy test for the same.
- If you have persimmon in large quantities, a compound known as bezoars can form. This compound is a hard mass which is difficult to digest and can cause gastric obstruction. This compound is formed as the ingestible fibres and tannins combine in your stomach with the already present stomach acid.
- If you are hypotensive, it is better to avoid having persimmon. The gallic and tannic acids present in the fruit can significantly reduce your blood pressure.
Takeaway
Persimmon has tons of promising benefits for your overall health. Packed with essential minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and more, this power-packed fruit supports your immune system, improves digestion, and even keeps your heart health in check. Their high fibre content aids in managing diabetes and enhancing digestive health.
Furthermore, persimmons’ unique composition has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, contributing immensely to your well-being. With their delicious taste and versatile uses in various culinary creations, persimmons are a nutritious choice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and enjoying their numerous health benefits.
