Persimmons vs apples

[Guest guest]

I found this on another list and thought it was interesting.

 

Persimmons Better For Your Heart Than an Apple

 

Here's some dietary advice you can take to heart. A persimmon a day does

more to reduce the risk of heart disease - the leading cause of death in

the United States - than an apple.

A head-to-head comparison of the two fruits by an international group of

researchers found persimmons contain significantly higher concentrations

of dietary fiber, minerals and phenolic compounds - all instrumental in

fighting atherosclerosis, a leading cause of heart disease, heart

attacks and stroke. The study appears in the February 1 Web edition of

the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The monthly

peer-reviewed journal is published by the American Chemical Society, the

world's largest scientific society.

This is the first comparative study of persimmons and apples that

evaluates their anti-atherosclerosis capabilities, says lead researcher

Shela Gorinstein, Ph.D., a research associate with the department of

medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel.

The relatively high contents of fibers, phenolics, minerals and trace

elements " make persimmon preferable for an anti-atherosclerotic diet, "

Gorinstein and her colleagues concluded. A previous study by the

researchers showed that persimmons improved lipid metabolism in rats.

Many persimmons contained twice as much dietary fiber as apples. The

peels of both fruits had higher fiber levels than the pulp or the whole

fruit, according to the findings. Persimmons also contained more of the

major phenolics (antioxidants) than apples.

Persimmons had significantly higher levels of sodium, potassium,

magnesium, calcium, iron and manganese. Apples had higher overall

concentrations of copper and zinc.

Eating one medium-sized persimmon (about 100 grams) a day is enough to

help fight atherosclerosis, says Gorinstein. She is quick to add that

other fruits also help guard against heart disease and urges people to

include them in their diet as well.

Persimmons, a very popular fruit in Israel, were chosen because they

contain a " high percentage of polyphenols, especially tannins, which are

very good antioxidants, " said Gorinstein. Other researchers involved in

the study were from Jagiellonian University in Poland, the University of

Lleida in Spain, the Kaplan Medical Center in Israel, and the Israeli

Ministry of Health.

The persimmon tree, which produces the reddish-orange fruit, was first

cultivated in China thousands of years ago, and is now grown in many

countries. China, Japan, Brazil and Korea are the major producers.

Israel, which has an expanding persimmon industry, grows a variety

called Sharon Fruit. Although persimmon trees grow wild in many areas of

the United States, most of the fruit grown for consumption in this

country is of Japanese origin.

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Take good care and have a great day.

 

Love,

Renee and Jerry