Research shows that eating one medium-sized persimmon (about 100 grams) a day can "keep the doctor away" even more effectively than the traditional apple.
By Judy Siegel-Itzkovich
Dr. Shela Gorinstein, a research associate at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's School of Pharmacy, claims that persimmons contain a cocktail of beneficial ingredients that can significantly reduce a person's risk of atherosclerosis - a form of arteriosclerosis - the clogging of the arteries in the heart and brain.
The persimmon - a sweet-tasting tomato-shaped orange fruit with a shiny peel - was first cultivated thousands of years ago in China, where it is known as kaki fruit. It was introduced into France and other Mediterranean countries in the 19th century, but its existence in the Middle East was already well known; it is mentioned several times in traditional Jewish texts dating back to the 3rd-5th centuries. Israel now has an expanding persimmon industry especially in the Sharon region north of Tel Aviv, and persimmons are widely known abroad as Sharon fruit.
Gorinstein conducted the research together with Professor Simon Trakhtenberg of the Department of Cardiology at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot, as well as with a group of organic chemists, biologists and food technologists from Poland, Bulgaria and Spain. Research was carried out on 12 different samples of locally grown persimmons and apples; the team discovered that persimmons contain significantly higher concentrations of dietary fiber (especially in the peels), minerals, polyphenols (antioxidants) and trace elements than apples. All of these elements are important in the fight against clogged coronary and cerebral arteries, which can cause heart attacks and strokes - the leading cause of death in the western world. The results of the study appeared on February 1st, 2001 in the Internet edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a monthly journal published by the American Chemical Society.
In a previous study, Professor Trakhtenberg was able to prove that persimmons improved lipid (fat) metabolism in rats; he is now planning to test the fruit on cardiac patients at Kaplan Hospital.
Although there is a fear that over-consumption of persimmons can cause intestinal blockages, leading persimmon-cultivation expert Dr. Amos Rosenfeld of the Volcani Institute for Agricultural Research in Beit Dagan insists this is largely unfounded. "There is absolutely no danger in eating persimmons except for a very small group of people who have undergone stomach ulcer surgery," Rosenfeld maintains. "A nerve in the stomach of these patients is affected, and this reduces the amount of acidity in the stomach. Persimmons contain chemicals called tannins, which are also found in other plants such as tea. With less acidity in the stomach, eating tannin-laden persimmons could cause blockages in the colon. But for everyone else, there is no danger. They can be eaten fresh - hard or soft - stewed or dried."
Gorinstein claims that her research was the world's first comparative study of persimmons and apples that evaluates their anti-atherosclerosis capabilities. "But," she emphasizes, "it is important to include other fruits that also help guard against the disease in one's daily diet."