Eating Persimmons in Autumn to Prevent Vascular Hardening; Do Not Eat with Crabs
It's persimmon harvest season now. The golden-yellow persimmons look so tempting that they make one's mouth water. The texture of persimmons can be either crisp and sweet or soft and honey-like, making them suitable for all ages.
Persimmons are delicious, but they also come with many taboos. The most well-known is that persimmons and crabs, two major autumn delicacies, must never meet on the dining table. While the incompatibility between them is not as toxic as the arsenic-like substance produced by the combination of vitamin C and seafood, it can still cause severe abdominal pain and even lead to stones. Although seasonal fruits should be eaten fresh, one must also be discerning about persimmons to avoid "suicidal" eating habits.
The "True Story" on Persimmons
Although persimmons have several dietary taboos, they are absolutely No. 1 among fruits in terms of nutritional and medicinal value. Health experts often say "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," but they may not realize that when it comes to preventing cardiovascular hardening, the efficacy of persimmons is far greater than that of apples, making them a "king of fruits" beneficial for heart health. Another persimmon derivative, dried persimmon, contains mannitol, sucrose, glucose, and sorbitol, and has effects of lowering blood pressure, stopping bleeding, clearing heat, and moistening the intestines. The white powder on dried persimmons is called persimmon frost, which can treat a sore throat, mouth sores, lung heat cough, and hemoptysis.
Persimmons and dried persimmons both contain invert sugar, sucrose, malic acid, mannitol, and tannins. Therefore, they can be eaten as mild and nourishing foods. In addition, persimmons and dried persimmons have hemostatic and intestinal lubricating effects, which can alleviate hemorrhoid swelling and pain, and help stop bleeding from hemorrhoids and rectal bleeding. Even persimmon leaves are beneficial. Persimmon leaf tea, processed from persimmon leaves, when consumed regularly, can enhance human metabolism, purify the blood, and revitalize body tissues and cells. It also increases coronary blood flow, making it a valuable health drink for patients with hypertension and coronary heart disease. Burning persimmon bark into charcoal, grinding it into powder, and mixing it with vegetable oil can be used to treat burns.
Persimmons are also a fruit with a relatively high iodine content. Regular consumption is very beneficial for preventing iodine deficiency. For patients with endemic goiter caused by iodine deficiency, eating persimmons is also very helpful.
In addition, persimmons can promote the oxidation of ethanol in the blood, help the body excrete alcohol, and reduce the harm alcohol causes to the body, making them a good "remedy" for sobering up.
The "Bad Habit" of Eating Persimmons on an Empty Stomach
Persimmons contain a large amount of tannic acid. When a person eats a large quantity of persimmons on an empty stomach, the stomach acid, having no food to react with, will combine with the tannic acid to form a gel-like substance that is difficult to digest. This substance then wraps around other food fibers and residue to form a mass that is insoluble in water and cannot be digested—known as a persimmon phytobezoar.
If the persimmon phytobezoar is too large, even larger than the diameter of the relaxed pyloric sphincter, it cannot be expelled into the intestine. It remains in the stomach for a long time, irritating the gastric mucosa, causing inflammation, erosion, ulcers, and leading to gastric dysfunction, which is known as diospyrobezoar disease.
Usually, the tannic acid content of unripe persimmons is higher than that of ripe ones, so astringent persimmons are more likely to cause diospyrobezoar disease.
The onset of diospyrobezoar disease can be acute or chronic. The acute type can appear symptoms half an hour after eating a large amount of persimmons, with a feeling of heaviness in the upper abdomen, bloating, nausea, and vomiting. The vomit may contain pieces of persimmon and can even include blood. Under the stimulation of the bezoar, chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, and gastric dysfunction can also develop. If the course of the disease exceeds six months, it is considered chronic, with symptoms similar to ulcers or chronic gastritis, such as loss of appetite, indigestion, upper abdominal pain, and acid reflux.
Eating Persimmons Without Peeling
Because the skin of persimmons has a good texture, people generally eat them without peeling. This practice is not scientific. Because most of the tannic acid in persimmons is concentrated in the skin, and it is impossible to remove all of it during the de-astringency process, eating the skin along with the flesh makes it easier to form a persimmon phytobezoar.
Eating with High-Protein Foods
In addition to persimmons, autumn is also the time for fragrant chrysanthemums and fat crabs, making it the best time for people to enjoy them. Therefore, the chance of persimmons and crabs "meeting" is relatively high. Since ancient times, the saying "crabs and persimmons are incompatible" has been a common常识. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that both crabs and persimmons are cold-natured foods, so it is best not to eat them together. From a modern medical perspective, crab meat is rich in protein, while persimmons are rich in tannic acid. When protein meets tannic acid, it coagulates into a mass, which can then form a persimmon phytobezoar. Besides crabs, any high-protein food such as fish, shrimp, peanuts, duck meat, eggs, etc., should not be eaten with persimmons or consumed too close in time.
Without Moderation
For those who love persimmons, autumn is a great time to indulge. Taking advantage of the peak season for ripe persimmons to satisfy one's craving is the idea of many "persimmon lovers." However, although persimmons are sweet, one should also know when to stop. The tannic acid in persimmons can form compounds with minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium, and iron in food that cannot be absorbed by the human body, rendering the nutrients unusable. Overeating persimmons can easily lead to mineral deficiency. Additionally, persimmons are high in sugar. Eating persimmons provides a greater sense of fullness than eating the same amount of apples or pears, which can affect appetite and reduce the intake of regular meals. It is recommended not to eat more than 200 grams of persimmons at a time.
Not Rinsing Mouth After Eating
Persimmons are high in sugar and contain pectin. After eating persimmons, some residue always remains in the mouth, especially in the teeth. Combined with the weakly acidic tannic acid, it can easily erode teeth and cause cavities. Therefore, after eating persimmons, one should drink some water or rinse their mouth promptly. Reporter Kong Yaoyao of Morning Post=