Me: Is it a different kind of tomato?
Gramma: No, it looks different… I havent seen this kind of tomato before
Me: Hmm.. it is in the fruit section…. Do you have any idea what it could be?
Gramma : [She looked at me perplexed…]
I then turned to the salesman behind the Apples counter and asked him what fruit it was..
Salesguy: Japan Fruit madam.. See that box next to it, it has the chopped fruit as well..
I instantly tweeted asking the kind souls out there if they had seen/tasted this fruit. Within few minutes, one of those souls replied saying “yes, have seen this before, it is also called Persimmon”


From Wikipedia– They are high in glucose, with a balanced protein profile, and possess various medicinal and chemical uses. Like the tomato, it is not considered a “common berry“, but is in fact a “true berry” by definition.

We were tempted to buy one and try, but put it off for another day… I got home and did some snooping around on the net… What i found had me curious.. 

Health
benefits of persimmon fruit

[Source:http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/persimmon-fruit.html]

  • The
    fruit is low in
    calories (provides 70 cal/100g) and fats but is rich source of
    dietary fiber.

  • Persimmons
    contain many
    health
    benefiting phyto-nutrients flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants like
    catechins
    and gallocatechins
    as well as important anti-tumor compound
    betulinic
    acid
    . Catechins are known to have anti-infective,
    anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small
    blood vessels) properties.

  • Fresh
    permissions contain
    anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta-carotene, lycopene,
    lutein,
    zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. Together, these compounds functions as
    protective
    scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen
    species (ROS) that plays a role in aging and various disease processes.

  • zeaxanthin,
    an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into
    the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide
    antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps
    prevent “Age related macular disease”(ARMD) in the elderly.

  • The
    fruits are also very
    good source
    of vitamin-C,
    another powerful antioxidant (especially native Chinese
    and American persimmons; provide 80% of DRI). Regular consumption of
    foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against
    infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.

  • The
    fruit is good in many
    valuable B-complex vitamins
    such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin…etc. These
    vitamins act as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions
    in the body.

  • Fresh
    Persimmon fruits
    also
    contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of
    DRI), copper (12% of DRI),  and phosphorus. Manganese is a
    co-factor for
    the enzyme, superoxide
    dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger.
    Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including
    cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function
    as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Copper is also
    required for the production of red blood cells.

You bet on my next sighting of this fruit, i am going to grab one!!
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