Physalis peruviana
1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
Small golden berries that ripen inside a papery husk, from a Physalis plant in the nightshade family. Sold fresh as golden berries and dried as a chewy snack fruit.
Also known as Cape gooseberry, Poha, Golden berry, Husk cherry
What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.
Physalis extracts have been studied for metabolic effects in animals, and a single small human study is sometimes cited. That is not a body of evidence, and nothing about eating the fruit can be concluded from it.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.
AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 53 kcal | 3% |
| Protein | 1.9 g | 4% |
| Total fat | 0.7 g | 1% |
| Carbohydrate | 11.2 g | 4% |
| Water | 85.4 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 36 µg | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 11 mg | 12% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.11 mg | 9% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.04 mg | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.8 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 9 mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1 mg | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 40 mg | 3% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Ash | 0.8 g | — |
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Source record: Groundcherries, (cape-gooseberries or poha), raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173043).
% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Carotenoid
A provitamin A carotenoid the body converts to retinol as needed. High-dose supplements have shown harm in smokers, unlike dietary intake.
Polyphenol (class)
An umbrella term for thousands of plant phenolic compounds. Useful as a category, but a "high polyphenol" figure says nothing about which compounds…
Soluble fibre
The gelling soluble fibre of apples, citrus peel and many fruits.
Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.
Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Avoid
Green unripe Physalis fruit, along with the husk, leaves and stems, contains solanine-type alkaloids and withanolides that cause vomiting and cramping. Only fully coloured, fully ripe fruit is food.
Allergy
Physalis is a Solanaceae like tomato, potato and goji. People with documented nightshade allergy have reason to approach it cautiously.
Too much
The dried product sold in health-food aisles is frequently infused with sugar or apple juice concentrate, which changes it from a tart fruit into a confection.