Will eating persimmons and yogurt together cause poisoning? What are the effects of eating persimmons on an empty stomach?

Friends who love persimmons may have seen a claim online: eating persimmons and yogurt together will cause poisoning. Because persimmons contain a lot of vitamin C and yogurt contains a lot of protein, when the two are combined, they may produce something similar to arsenic. Is this reliable?

Will eating persimmons and yogurt together really cause poisoning?

So, will drinking yogurt after eating persimmons cause poisoning? It will not. The main issue is that persimmons (the skin of persimmons) contain a large amount of tannic acid. If you eat persimmons and then immediately eat foods high in protein, a reaction is likely to occur. Tannic acid is a water-soluble substance with a strong astringent taste that can coagulate protein. The online claim that drinking milk or yogurt after eating persimmons causes poisoning should actually be gastrointestinal adverse reactions caused by tannic acid reacting with protein in the human body.

It is understood that persimmons have very high nutritional value, with some nutrients even exceeding those of apples. They contain large amounts of tannic acid and pectin, especially tannic acid, which under the action of gastric acid easily reacts with protein and cellulose to form lumps. Together with the pectin component, the lumps grow larger and larger, forming gastric stones, commonly known as “persimmon stones”.

Yogurt contains protein, and when eaten together with the tannic acid protein in persimmons, it easily forms milk curds and hard stones. In mild cases, this can affect gastrointestinal absorption; in severe cases, if it persists for a long time, it can easily cause persimmon stones, which require surgery to resolve. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, food incompatibilities do indeed exist, but the claim that they cause immediate death by poisoning is somewhat exaggerated. However, it is still correct that persimmons should not be eaten in large quantities, especially for people with weaker digestive function.

How can persimmons be eaten more safely?

Persimmons have very high nutritional value, containing protein, fat and vitamin B1, B2, E, C and β carotene, etc., and also relatively high amounts of magnesium, thiamine, ascorbic acid and other components. In addition to being nutritious, persimmons have the effects of clearing heat, moistening the lungs, quenching thirst, relieving cough, reducing phlegm and lowering blood pressure, and have good effects on treating high blood pressure, bleeding hemorrhoids and constipation.

But how should persimmons be eaten scientifically to ensure good health? Pay attention to the following five points:

1. Do not eat persimmons on an empty stomach

Because persimmons contain relatively large amounts of tannic acid and pectin, on an empty stomach these form hard lumps of various sizes under the action of gastric acid. If these hard lumps cannot pass through the pylorus to reach the small intestine, they remain in the stomach and form gastric persimmon stones. Small gastric persimmon stones initially look like apricot kernels, but they grow larger and larger. If gastric persimmon stones cannot be excreted naturally, they will cause digestive tract obstruction, with symptoms such as severe upper abdominal pain, vomiting, and even vomiting blood. Gastric persimmon stones as large as a fist have been found during surgery. If the stomach “has something in it”, the formation of gastric persimmon stones can be avoided.

2. Control the amount eaten each time

The tannic acid in persimmons can form compounds with minerals in food such as calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron that cannot be absorbed by the human body, making these nutrients unavailable, so eating too many persimmons easily leads to deficiency of these minerals. Also, because persimmons contain relatively more sugar, people feel fuller after eating persimmons than after eating the same amount of apples or pears, which affects appetite and reduces the intake of main meals. It is generally believed that, when not on an empty stomach, it is appropriate to eat no more than 200 grams of persimmons each time.

3. Rinse your mouth after eating

Persimmons are high in sugar and contain pectin. After eating persimmons, some always remains in the mouth, especially between the teeth. Together with the weakly acidic tannic acid, it easily erodes the teeth and forms cavities, so after eating persimmons it is advisable to drink a few sips of water or rinse the mouth promptly.

Some persimmons on the market look very tempting and red, but taste not sweet at all; they are very likely ripened with hormones. Because it is difficult to tell from the outside, it is suggested that you first buy one and taste it before deciding whether to buy more.

4. The skin of persimmons should not be eaten

Some people feel that chewing the skin while eating persimmons is tastier than eating the persimmon alone, but this way of eating is actually unscientific.

This is because the vast majority of the tannic acid in persimmons is concentrated in the skin. During the de-astringency process of persimmons, it is impossible to remove all the tannic acid. If eaten together with the skin, it more easily forms gastric persimmon stones; especially when the de-astringency process is incomplete, the skin contains even more tannic acid.

5. Do not eat them together with crab, fish or shrimp

In traditional Chinese medicine, both crab and persimmon are cold-natured foods, so they should not be eaten together. From the perspective of modern medicine, high-protein crab, fish and shrimp easily coagulate into lumps under the action of tannic acid, namely gastric persimmon stones.

People with diabetes should not eat them. Persimmons contain 10.8% sugars, and most are simple disaccharides and monosaccharides (sucrose, fructose and glucose belong to this category), so after eating they are easily absorbed and raise blood sugar. For people with diabetes, especially those with poorly controlled blood sugar, this is even more harmful.

Experts suggest that you must eat ripe persimmons; raw persimmons contain more tannic acid and other substances and are not suitable to eat. Dried persimmons are safer to eat, because the process of drying persimmons is also a de-astringency process, and the tannic acid content is greatly reduced. After persimmons are processed into dried persimmons, the tannins are relatively reduced, but you still need to pay attention to eating them in moderation; people who are obese or have high blood lipids, blood pressure or blood sugar should not eat them. For older people, it is appropriate to eat one persimmon a day, while young people can eat one or two a day. When eating, be sure to peel them, and rinse your mouth promptly afterward. Persimmons should also not be eaten together with sweet potato; sweet potato contains starch and sugars, and after combining with tannins it is very difficult for the human body to absorb.

Can you make dried persimmons in three minutes? How is it done?

Ingredients: persimmons and corn flour.

Method: Peel the persimmons, mash them into a puree, and mix evenly with corn flour; then press into cakes (any size); brush a layer of oil in the pan, then put the prepared persimmon cakes into the pan, fry until golden brown on both sides and remove from the pan.