North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jwlehman@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/14/2008 6:01:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time, lonrom@hevanet.com writes:

> The condition is called a bezoar.  It's real.  It's a concretion of  skins and seeds, though you have to eat a LOT of them.  I've heard it's most common among hunters who eat wild persimmons while they are in the woods and include a lot of partially ripe ones.    


I'd like to add two more points. 
1. A contributing factor of the danger without doors man eating them is the lack of stomach liquid (water) at the time of eating, aiding the astringency to bind the mass thus helping form a bezoar. In Lee Reich's book, "Uncommon Fruits Worthy of Attention," he writes of the chemical compound leucodelphinidin in astringent persimmons. This compound tends to bond proteins and well as absorb moisture, therefore the harsh choking experience when biting into a very astringent persimmon. This same bonding and absorbing of moisture is a factor to forming bezoars. If one is eating a quaintly of whole persimmons don't eat the seeds, avoid eating the skin especially from the calyx area which usually carries a higher degree of astringency and if possible drink plenty of water.  Best just to eat juicy very ripe persimmons. 

2. Defending our friend Dr. Parmar, who states, "No, not true at all.  I eat a lot of persimmons every season.  I do not peel the fruits nor I have seen these being peeled by anyone even in Japan."  I believe the danger is much less if eating D. kaki, especially the non-astringent  varieties which is the primary persimmon species in India. Chiranjit, please correct me if I'm wrong. 

Jerry

PS. I know of no actual cases of persimmon bezoars, first hand. I don't consider it a grave danger, but if one forms there is only one cure, surgery.      


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