Know2eat

Persimmon

Diospyros kaki

What persimmon has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About persimmon

A glossy orange autumn fruit sold in two families: non-astringent types such as Fuyu, eaten firm, and astringent types such as Hachiya, edible only when fully soft. The difference is soluble tannin content.

Also known as Japanese persimmon, Kaki, Sharon fruit, Fuyu, Hachiya

Heart HealthAntioxidant & Oxidative Stress

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

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.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited. A few small trials of persimmon fibre or persimmon-derived tannin report reductions in LDL cholesterol, plausibly through bile acid binding in the gut. The studies are small, mostly short and often use a concentrated preparation rather than the fruit.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Oxidative stress markers

Antioxidant & Oxidative Stress
Insufficient evidence

Persimmon is rich in carotenoids and tannins and performs well in laboratory antioxidant assays. Human studies of oxidative-stress markers after eating it are too few to support any statement.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Persimmon

Ask about Persimmon

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.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories70 kcal4%
Protein0.58 g1%
Total fat0.19 g0%
Carbohydrate18.6 g7%
Fibre3.6 g13%
Total sugars12.5 g—
Water80.3 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.02 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.037 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.043 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.039 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A81 µg9%
Vitamin C7.5 mg8%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.73 mg5%
Vitamin K2.6 µg2%
Thiamin (B1)0.03 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.02 mg2%
Niacin (B3)0.1 mg1%
Vitamin B60.1 mg6%
Folate8 µg2%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline7.6 mg1%
Minerals
Calcium8 mg1%
Iron0.15 mg1%
Magnesium9 mg2%
Phosphorus17 mg1%
Potassium161 mg3%
Sodium1 mg0%
Zinc0.11 mg1%
Copper0.113 mg13%
Manganese0.355 mg15%
Selenium0.6 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene253 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene159 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin834 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.33 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: Persimmons, japanese, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169941).

% 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.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

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.

  • driedReduces soluble tannins

    Drying and ripening both polymerise soluble tannins into insoluble forms, which is what removes the astringency. Traditional deastringency treatments using carbon dioxide or ethanol vapour do the same thing faster.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Diospyrobezoar formation

    Persimmon tannins react with stomach acid to form a sticky coagulum that can build into a hard gastric mass called a diospyrobezoar, sometimes requiring endoscopic or surgical removal. Risk concentrates in people with previous gastric surgery, diabetic gastroparesis or poor gastric emptying, and in those eating unripe astringent fruit on an empty stomach.

  • Worth knowing

    Unripe astringent varieties are unpleasant and riskier

    Hachiya-type fruit eaten before it is jelly-soft is intensely mouth-drying and carries the highest soluble tannin load, which is also the bezoar risk factor. Non-astringent Fuyu types can be eaten crisp.

  • Too much

    Dried persimmon concentrates sugar and tannin

    Hoshigaki and other dried persimmons are very high in sugar by weight, and the cases of bezoar reported in the literature include dried fruit as well as fresh.