Persimmons were commonly mentioned as a coquettish fruits according to its ever powdery rind. Other than that, it has also called as “Javanese apple” because of its appearance that is similar to apple, with yellowish to reddish orange skin colors but with smoother fruit flesh inside. Another name for this fruits are Oriental Persimmons. But a Latin official name of this fruit is Diospyros kaki from Ebenaceae family.
Persimmons are originally came from People Republic of China a long time ago before it finally had been spread to Japan and being bred in there. In China and Japan, this fruit has its own target market and has a high number in price. The commercialization are creeping up to New Zealand, Australia and Israel. Whilst in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, persimmons are not that popular. The production can only filled up local demands, especially for Brastagi area. Recently, this fruit has also been spread out to the other side of Asia, and in colonial period (1800s) been carried to Southern Europe and California.
In the Western countries, this fruits are being sold in 2 types: Fuyu, and Hachiya. “Fuyu” Persimmons are sweet and sugary, actually easy to be treated as a delicious side dish with another sweet varieties such as Jiro, Izu, Hanagosho, Midia, Suruga, dan Shogatsu. And another type is the “Hachiya” Persimmons that are bitter when raw and can only be eaten when it is already ripe and soft enough, and another varieties of this bitter persimmons are Tanenashi, Eureka, Tamopan, and Gailey.
Even though this fruit is not as famous as apple, but its compositions inside are ready to compete with them. A fresh persimmons contain 19,6% of soluble carbohydrates; especially fructose and glucose, 0,7% protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and Potassium. Plus plentiful amounts of manganese.
Persimmons are an excellent source of fiber, which will help the regulation of our body. Low in calories and fats, this full of powder in its skin fruit contains all kinds of phytonutrients, flavonoids, and antioxidants. Antioxidants inside the fruit are such as beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, catechin, gallocatechins, betulinic, cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin that has the benefits for our bodies such as for protecting small blood vessels from bleeding, absorbs into the eyes and helps filter light, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, and more advantages if consumed regularly. In addition, it also holds a plentiful amount of B-complex vitamins, along with copper and phosphorus. And, research has been done on the content of persimmons that revealed that it contains of tannin, sirulin, and iodine too. And further studies stated that it also contains of lycopene and polyphenol.
In sum, all vitamins and minerals include in persimmon are in fact higher than a fruit that is as popular as apple.
Here are some of the health benefits of persimmons.
Related:
- Health Benefits of Figs Fruit
- Health Benefits of Ackee Fruit
- Health Benefits of Bilimbi Fruit
- Health Benefits of Baobab Fruit
Persimmon for Body Treatments
So, here are all the health benefits of persimmons that you need to know.
1. Lower the Cholesterol
Polyphenol has the ability to lower down the evil cholesterol number in our body (or LDL, low density lipoprotein) that would then prevent us from the risk of heart disease. And it also contains of Tannin that has a positive impact for our heart healthiness.
Read also: Foods That Lower Cholesterol Level – Health Risks of High Levels of Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
2. Lowers the Hypertension
Potassium is another mineral that has been discovered in a remarkable number in persimmons. Potassium can act as vasodilator, and also lower down our blood pressure that would circulate to our entire body. This kind of activity would then reduce the turmoil on the cardiovascular system and avoiding various types of heart disease. Drink up a glass of fresh persimmons juice a day regularly, to keep the hypertension away.
3. Treats Asthma and Cough with Phlegm
Take two pieces of dried persimmons, add a little water and steam until cooked. Once cooked, puree and add one or two tablespoons of honey. This method could be an alternative to solve your asthma and cough problems.
Thus, here is the alternative to cure Asthma.
4. Good for Stomach (Digestion and Defecate)
Persimmon also contain of calories, good fats and rich in fiber so it can keep up the digestive organs.
5. Treats Diarrhea and Dysentery
Well, to reduce the abdominal pain, you can ease it by chewing up a fresh persimmon fruit. Pain and heat in the stomach will disappear by itself. There are also other traditional medicine made from dried persimmon, which is a traditional herb to cure diarrhea or dysentery.
How to make it:
- Boil 2 slices of dried persimmon
- Stir until it becomes mushy
- Then mix with the lime juice and glutinous rice
- Take this medicinal herbs from the dried persimmon 3 times a day
Diarrhea Medication Alternatives: Prevent Diarrhea
6. Reduces the Risk of Cancer
Fibers that contain in persimmons has a function to tie up the carcinogens and let it out our body through the digestive tract. The lycopene substance has a role as antioxidant to antidote the cancer. The compositions of flavonoid and another antioxidants such as catecin and gallocatechin, plus anti-cancer substance such as betullinic acid, in persimmons have a very important role for our bodies.
Meanwhile, persimmons is one of the best fruit containing flavonoid fisetin to kill breast cancer cells. Yet, this substance is safe for breast cells. Also, flavonoid fisetin is good to help in healing another types of harmful cancer.
Other Cancer Symptoms and Prevention:
7. Anti-Infection, Anti-Inflammatory, and Prevent Bleeding
Catechin compounds in the persimmon is an agent that has the ability as an anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and prevent bleeding from the blood vessels.
8. Avoids Blindness and other Eye Diseases
The content of zea-xanthin in persimmon can be absorbed by the retina in the eye as a way to protect the eyes of the affected organ blindness and eye diseases such as cataracts.
9. Maintains Endurance and Immunity
In addition, the persimmon fruit also contains substances such as folic acid, pyridoxine and thiamin. Various substances acted as a double agent to maintain the health of our bodies by maintaining the durability and our immune system.
10. Counteracts Free Radicals
Fresh persimmon contains many important minerals such as potassium, copper, manganese and phosphorus. Manganese is an agent that can mutate as enzyme superoxide free radicals that can destroy the strongest. Copper minerals in the persimmon is an important component in the formation of enzymes that could be joined by manganese and zinc in destroying free radicals that enter into our bodies. In addition, copper is also needed by the body to produce red blood cells.
Some of other anti-oxidant compounds found abundantly in this fruit are vitamin-A, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zea-xanthin and cryptoxanthin. Together, these compounds work as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
11. Increases the Production of Red Blood Cells
The copper help increasing the production of red blood cells so that the need of oxygen and food juices in cells will be fulfilled properly.
12. Gets Rid of Premature Aging of the Skin
Exciting news is also coming from the persimmon for women who want to look naturally beautiful, white and subtle glow. Well, before the scary thing is suffered in your face, we better do the prevention actions, one of them using the persimmon fruit. Therefore, the persimmon has a content of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E and antioxidants. Those nutrition are believed to make the benefits to us to get a white clear skin and prevent wrinkles. Antioxidants in persimmon act as anti-free radicals such as exposure to UV and dirt on the skin. Then we need not doubt the benefits of the sweet persimmon. Therefore, eating persimmon once a day being the most appropriate way to get the benefits of persimmon.
13. Assists in the Diet Program to Lose Weight
Carbohydrate content is high enough as a substitute for rice, as well as high levels of the protein could be supplying balanced nutrition during dieting. Replace rice in the diet does not mean you do not eat rice during a diet, but reducing the portion of rice and replaced with fiber-rich fruits of persimmon. Therefore, the key to success in a diet program is to reduce the consumption of fat content of food and increase intake of protein for the body. The content of this fruit can be a substitute to apples if you get bored with the selection of fruit during the diet.
Weight Loss Recommendations:
14. Anti-Tumor
Inside its small fruit, it contains an important anti-tumor compound, betulinic acid. In addition, it also full of anti-oxidants type: catechins and gallocatechins, that have been tested to have the anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic properties to our body.
15. Prevents Infectious Agents to Enter the Body
Persimmons has lots of efficacious amount of Vitamin C that can be an effective source of antioxidant for our bodies that could develop our protection against infectious agents and free us from free radicals and inflammatory.
16. Assist Function of Enzymes in the Body
Numerous substances that have been proved to help enzymes in our bodies are vitamin B-complex (such as olic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin), and minerals such as Mangan and Copper. The B-complex vitamin has the ability to act as co-factor for several metabolic enzymatic functions in our body. While the minerals, manganese acts a co-factor for an enzyme called superoxide dismutase that is very helpful to free us from free radicals. And the Copper is a co-factor for plenty number of enzymes like cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase.
17. Good for Pregnant Women
The content of these fruits can meet the energy needs of a pregnant women every day, as well as helping to increase the blood levels when pregnant women suffer from anemia. In addition, the antioxidant content of persimmon also help give the pregnant woman’s body resistance, avoid the disease and virus attacks during pregnancy.
Related:
- Health Benefits of Mung Beans
- Health Benefits of Apples During Pregnancy
- Benefits of Cauliflower during Pregnancy
18. Prevents Macular Disease for Elderly
Macular is a center of retina and the most vital part of it. Macular degeneration is one of the situation that the macular has a slowdown phase with sightseeing and has a possibility to cause an actual loss of central vision function. Meanwhile, persimmons with its zea-xanthin substances will help us with macula disease where zea-xanthin will be absorbed in macular lutea in our eyes to provide antioxidant and to protect our eyes with light-filtering.
19. Prevents Blood Vessel
Persimmons and all its compounds have given us too many health benefits as mentioned above, but it doesn’t stop right there. Apart from health related issue, it also helps us with certain problem solving in life, such as :
20. Can be used as Crafts Preservatives
Tannin is generally conceived unripe persimmon cause astringent taste. But the higher the level of maturity of the fruit, the tart flavor that will turn out to be sweet.
21. Processed into sweets or dessert
Although it has been called as ‘Javanese Apple’, persimmon has a different texture of the apple fruit flesh. When the apple fruit flesh is firm, it is not in the persimmons fruit flesh. Persimmon fruit flesh texture is softer and contains more water. It feels so much different from the taste of the apples. Apples have a sweet-sour taste, while persimmons taste very sweet when ripe. It will still feel as good without being processed into juice or any other types of processed persimmon. The sweet taste of it can also be used as a cake toppings just like the cherries.
22. Maintains Health of Lungs, Spleen, and Heart – Persimmons may help you to maintain heart health.
23. Smooth up Blood Circulation – Persimmons contain the source to smooth up blood circulation.
24. Stabilize Blood Pressure – Eat persimmons to stabilize blood pressure and maintain overalls health.
25. Assisting rice-wine Production in Japan, with its Tannin compounds.
Indeed, persimmons is great fruit with best nutrients that beneficial to body. Well, you may then slice persimmons and put that in your complementary dish.
How to Eat Persimmon
After knowing too many of the benefit from consuming this fruit, here are some ways to consume the persimmons aside from consuming it directly. Part of persimmon which can be used are the leaves and the fruit. That is why now many persimmon leaf is used as an ingredient to make a healthy drink. Because, persimmon leaves efficacious to prevent arteriosclerosis, resolve inflammation and stop the bleeding. While fruit can be eaten alone or processed into foods and beverages such as salads, jams, sweets, pudding, pie, ice salad, iced fruit, and juice.
1. Add Sweet Persimmons to the Salad Bowl
A sweet, hard flesh and crunchy persimmon fruits are great to be turned into a fruit and veggie salad. You can add up some diced cut persimmons with nuts, cheddar cheese, and other fruits in a bowl or, you can follow this unique recipe:
- Roast the peeled up hazelnut in a dry brass until it seems good for about 15 minute
- Sliced it up slightly
- Slice the persimmons into 4 parts, and then copped it slightly.
- Mixed the fruits and the hazelnut altogether
- Sprinkle some parmesan or cheddar cheese as you desire, and add a little of white wine vinegar. And add some salt to balance the sweet and sour taste.
Read also: Health Benefits of Salad Greens
2. Turn it into a Persimmon Bread Jam
You can cook the persimmon into jam as well as other fruits. For best results, use a type of astringent persimmon, and don’t forget to taste each of the persimmon before being put into the pot to prevent misused the bitter persimmons.
- Wash clean the persimmons beneath a flowing water
- Peel the fruits
- Finely sliced and chopped the fruits
- Pour down 4 cups of the fruits into a big pan, and heat it up
- Add some sugar. Stir it firmly.
- As an addition, add some cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or grated orange peel. And wait until it boils
3. Add Persimmon Fruit to the Dessert
- Mashed the persimmon flesh and mix it together with the cream cheese, orange juice, honey, and salt.
- Add persimmon batter into cake or cookies.
4. Persimmon Bread
Try the banana bread recipes or banana muffin. Baking soda will reduce astringent flavor and makes the persimmon fruit flesh becomes thick, but also reacts with persimmon so that the dough becomes very light. Reduce half of baking soda or lost entirely if you want the bread to become dense.
5. Making Sweet Persimmon Salsa Sauce
- Diced the persimmons roughly
- Diced the usual salsa sauce ingredients such as red onions, chilly, garlic and corianders
- Mixed the fruits with the other ingredients in the bowl. Use a fork to help you mix
Persimmon Fun-Facts
- Persimmon season in the Northern hemisphere is in September and December. This can vary depending on the place.
- Persimmon also be treated with a dehydration or drying process.
- The use of baking soda will deceive an almost cooked persimmons. Just in case if one of the persimmon has a section that is not ripe enough yet.
- Sweet Persimmon will remain in good condition for 30 days with a room temperature
- However, please consume the fruits in not too many amount, because it contains fructose which may be harmful to your health if you consume it overmuch.(N/N)
As a result, you can consume persimmons in many ways as what you like. You can slice persimmons for your salad, bread, or juice it. Persimmons have many benefits for our health.