Will eating persimmons on an empty stomach cause kidney stones? Will eating persimmons make anemia patients' condition worse? Pay attention to these 3 points and eat persimmons without worry →

gossip

Autumn is a time for abundant harvests. There is a saying among the people: "Pick walnuts in the White Dew and pick persimmons in the Frost." This is a good time to eat persimmons.

Speaking of persimmons, the soft persimmons have thin skin and tender flesh, and are sweet and delicious. You really can't help but eat a few more. But many people stay away from them because they say that persimmons cannot be eaten, especially on an empty stomach, which can easily cause stones . There are also sayings that people with anemia are not recommended to eat them, as they are more likely to suffer from anemia ; the white frost on processed persimmon cakes is a preservative. This article will help you debunk these "rumors" one by one, so that you can eat persimmons healthily and safely.

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analyze

Will eating persimmons on an empty stomach cause kidney stones?

This statement is too absolute. The probability of producing stones when eating persimmons on an empty stomach is relatively high, but the formation of gastric stones is more critical factors such as insufficient gastric motility and eating too much at one time or eating persimmons with high tannin content for several consecutive days.

Persimmons are indeed related to gastrointestinal stones, mainly because persimmons contain more tannic acid, also known as tannin, which is mainly concentrated in the peel. Its astringent taste is actually a way for plants to "protect themselves" from being eaten; unfortunately, we humans have accepted this astringent taste, such as the unique flavor of wine and the heavy feeling of tea, which are mainly caused by polyphenols such as tannic acid.

If a large amount of tannic acid enters the stomach, it will polymerize in the stomach acid environment to form a gelatinous coagulation, and then combine with protein, pectin, etc. to form a sticky mixture, which slowly hardens into a "stone", inducing stones, causing bloating and stomach pain. If it is caused by persimmons, there is a special name called " gastric persimmon stone ".

If you eat de-astringent persimmons or ripe sweet persimmons on an empty stomach, you don’t have to worry too much about stones. Data show that many cases of gastric persimmon stones are related to gastrointestinal diseases (with weakened or disordered gastric function) or eating a lot of persimmons. [1,2,3,4]

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Of course, if your stomach moves normally, it is difficult for tannic acid to fully contact other food ingredients and "aggregate into a mass." Moreover, the persimmon varieties currently produced by agriculture are already low in tannic acid. It should be noted that the appearance of gastric stones is affected by many factors, such as patients with a history of gastric surgery, diabetes, mental and psychological abnormalities, and acid-related diseases such as peptic ulcers and reflux esophagitis. [4]

Therefore, when diagnosing stones, it is not comprehensive to only focus on persimmon intake, and a comprehensive analysis is required.

Pregnant women and people with anemia cannot eat persimmons?

NO, it’s pure rumor.

As long as pregnant mothers strictly abstain from alcohol, limit caffeine, do not eat raw food, avoid fish with high mercury content, and pay attention to avoid high-sugar diets, as long as it is safe and hygienic and they are not allergic to persimmons, they can eat it with confidence. As long as the gastrointestinal function is normal, it is no problem to eat persimmons occasionally; the precautions to be followed are the same as before.

As for the saying that "people with anemia cannot eat persimmons", it is because people think that tannic acid will affect the absorption of iron. Theoretically, this phenomenon only occurs in vegetarians who eat a lot of persimmons for a long time. Because only non-heme iron in plants will be affected by tannic acid, and the absorption rate of heme iron in animals will not be reduced by the presence of tannic acid. Therefore , for most people, eating persimmons occasionally will not cause anemia.

For people with anemia, it is important to understand the cause of anemia, rather than simply focusing on the superficial question of "whether to eat persimmons". If it is common iron deficiency anemia, you can increase your iron intake by eating more animal liver, animal blood, and lean meat on a daily basis, and supplement with iron preparations when necessary.

Is the white frost on persimmon a preservative?

Persimmons are often processed into dried persimmon cakes because they are not resistant to storage, inconvenient to store and transport, and have a short shelf life. To process dried persimmon cakes, the skin must be peeled first. After peeling, the water inside the fruit mixed with sugar seeps out of the peel. As the water evaporates during the drying process, the sugar in the persimmon gradually crystallizes and slowly accumulates on the surface, eventually precipitating glucose, fructose and other sugars. This eventually forms dried persimmon cakes with "white frost".

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Therefore, the white frost on the dried persimmons is not a preservative, but a naturally formed sugar frost during the production process. It is harmless to the human body and can be eaten with confidence. Of course, we must be wary of some unscrupulous merchants who artificially sprinkle flour, starch and other substances on the dried persimmons in order to improve the "appearance" of the dried persimmons.

This is easy to identify. The persimmon cake that has undergone "artificial whitening" looks more evenly white. If you shake it gently with your hand, the white powder will fall off. It is fake, and its taste is not as sweet as the original persimmon cake.

What are the nutritional contents of persimmons?

As early as 8,000 BC, our ancestors had already collected persimmons, which is an authentic Chinese native fruit. Let's take a look at its nutritional value.

1. High in Vitamin C

Its biggest nutritional advantage is not the golden color of persimmons that we think will supplement carotene, but vitamin C. A large, crisp persimmon, about 200 grams, can meet 60% of the daily VC requirement (the recommended daily VC intake for healthy adults is 100 mg), which is 10 times the VC content of apples.

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Compared with citrus fruits, which are high in vitamin C (persimmons contain 30 mg/100 g), oranges contain 33 mg/100 g, and tangerines contain 19 mg/100 g. [6]

2 Carotene is good

The carotene content in persimmons is 120 micrograms per 100 grams, which is not as high as that in mangoes, but about the same as that in oranges. The carotene content in persimmon cakes has more than doubled, which is equivalent to dehydrated persimmons, and the nutrients inside have been concentrated.

The β-carotene rich in carotene can be converted into vitamin A in the body, which plays a very important role in the eyes and skin.

In addition, it contains pectin, a water-soluble dietary fiber that helps to moisturize the intestines and promote bowel movements. From a calorie perspective, it is medium, comparable to lychees and pomegranates. However, dried persimmons can contain up to 255 kcal per 100 grams, which is higher than steamed bread (236 kcal/100 grams) [6]. People who are losing weight or controlling blood sugar should be careful to eat less.

Pay attention to the following three points and eat persimmons with confidence

1. Do not eat raw persimmons or persimmon skins; choose fully ripe persimmons and peel them or choose sweet persimmons or persimmon cakes. If the persimmons you buy are astringent, you can put them together with bananas and apples, put them in a plastic bag and tie the mouth tightly or put them directly in a foam box, which can effectively remove the astringency.

2. The elderly and children with poor gastrointestinal function, and people with gastroesophageal reflux, bloating, etc., should not eat on an empty stomach.

3. Don’t eat too many persimmons. Data show that healthy adults will not develop stomach stones if they eat two persimmons (400-500 grams) a day. [5] Children can just eat a little. However, each person’s situation varies, and it mainly depends on your own gastrointestinal feelings. If you feel uncomfortable in your stomach after eating persimmons, it means that your stomach and intestines are relatively delicate, so don’t force yourself to eat them.

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in conclusion

Eating persimmons on an empty stomach can easily cause stones, but this cannot be generalized. The key factors for the formation of gastric stones are insufficient gastric motility and eating too much at one time or eating persimmons with high tannin content for several consecutive days. As long as the gastrointestinal function is normal, adults, pregnant women, and people with anemia can eat persimmons; adults can eat one or two per day. As for persimmon cakes, the essence is concentrated, so you can eat half of it. The "white frost" you see is naturally formed icing, so you can eat it with confidence.

In short, people who love to eat persimmons will have good luck. I wish you all good luck and good fortune.

Author: Wang Yanli, registered dietitian

Reviewer: Chen Ran, Associate Research Librarian, COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Senior Engineer

References:

[1] Meng Ying, Luo Xiaoya, Zhou Yanhua, et al. Study on endoscopic manifestations and clinical characteristics of 77 patients with phytolithiasis[J]. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2022, 31(07): 784-787.

[2] Wei Xiaoqiang. Diagnosis and treatment of 20 cases of gastric persimmon stone disease[J]. Chinese Rural Medicine, 2018, 25(01):12. DOI:10.19542/j.cnki.1006-5180.001315.

[3] Li Mengli, Chen Duoduo, Li Chunmei. Reflections on the misunderstanding of persimmon stones[J]. Medical Debate, 2017, 8(04): 46-50. DOI: 10.13276/j.issn.1674-8913.2017.04.013.

[4,4] Cui Yan, Wang Xiaoyue, Gao Feng. Clinical characteristics of 48 cases of gastrolithiasis and selection of effective treatment methods[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinicians, 2021, 49(05): 538-540.

[5] Peng Jinming, Chen Duoduo, Li Kaikai, et al. Risk analysis of “gastric persimmon stone” after eating persimmon fruit[J]. Journal of Huazhong Agricultural University, 2021, 40(02): 222-229. DOI: 10.13300/j.cnki.hnlkxb.2021.02.024.

[6] Yang Yuexin. Standard Edition of Chinese Food Composition Table (6th Edition/Volume 1)[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018: 104-107.

Planning丨Zhong Yanping

Editor: Zhong Yanping

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