Persimmon lovers eagerly await its appearance on the shelves and want to choose only juicy, soft fruits with a delicate skin. The fact is that unripe persimmon is astringent, and even ripe fruits sometimes leave a slight tart aftertaste. But do not worry about this. There are various ways to get rid of this unpleasant property of this healthy fruit. Why Persimmon is astringent and makes your mouth feel dry, is it harmful to the body?
The Mechanism of Persimmon Astringency
Persimmon owes its astringent properties to tannins. The content of this substance is quite high in young fruits but is significantly reduced as they ripen. So, only unripe persimmon is astringent.
When an unripe fruit enters the mouth, the following reactions occur: tannin interacts with our mucous membrane and immediately provokes protein coagulation. After all, this is its main property: to interact with everything that has a protein structure. It is the coagulation of protein in the oral cavity that gives the feeling of astringency. The same property of tannin from unripe fruits is manifested in the stomach: they act like flour, binding all the food into a single lump. And our digestive system begins to work hard to break this lump down into its components.
Negative Impact of Persimmon Astringency on the Body
Although tannins are classified as anti-inflammatory substances, in large quantities (and persimmon contains quite a lot of them) they cause unexpected reactions:
- narrow blood vessels;
- reduce the secretion of salivary glands, causing a slight numbness;
- reduce the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, persimmon not only has the property of making your mouth feel dry but also causes numbness of the tongue, which moves worse. It can disrupt the digestive tract, causing intestinal colic and indigestion. It can also become one of the causes of respiratory tract spasm due to the presence of fiber with strong tanning properties. A ripe fruit does not have such a negative effect on the body.
What to Do to Prevent Persimmon from Being Astringent?
There are several ways to quickly destroy tannin in persimmon (without waiting for it to ripen):
- freeze the fruit (for about 12 hours);
- put the persimmon for several days in one bag or box with ripe apples and close it tightly;
- soak in warm water for 10–12 hours;
- dry (turn into dried fruit at a temperature of 40-45 °C).
What is Ripe Persimmon Useful For?
Ripe persimmon has the following beneficial properties:
- Helps to resist the development of tumors, stopping the growth of modified cells. This is due to the presence of beta-carotene (provitamin A) in the composition, which prevents the oxidation of free radicals.
- Ripe fruit налагоджує роботу травного тракту за рахунок наявності пектину та клітковини. Відбувається дбайливе очищення кишківника та виведення продуктів розпаду. Відомі також його жовчогінні властивості.
- Strengthens the nervous system, raising mood and improving emotional background.
- Thanks to the presence of potassium, it helps in the work of the cardiovascular system.
- Controls kidney function, and magnesium in the composition prevents the formation of stones. It has a diuretic effect.
- Saves with anemia, as it is involved in blood formation processes due to the high iron content.
The fruit is valued for its tannin content. In high concentrations, they are harmful, but in moderate ones, they bring certain benefits:
- stop bleeding;
- slow down the growth of bacterial colonies;
- raise overall tone;
- act as an antidote;
- inhibit inflammatory processes.
But the strong astringent properties of unripe persimmon make it not only unsuitable for consumption but also capable of harming health due to the high content of tannins. There are much fewer useful substances in it than in ripe fruits, and there is no point in talking about the positive effects of unripe fruits on the body. Therefore, if the Persimmon is astringent and makes your mouth feel dry, it is better to let it ripen and consume only ripe fruit.
