Free The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life by Deborah Klein Page B

process, so these pears can be consumed either while still firm or when soft.
    In traditional Chinese medicine, the Japanese persimmon is believed to regulate ch’i, the vital energy. Raw, they are used to treat constipation. Cooked, they are used to treat diarrhea. Some varieties are high in the antioxidant tannins catechin and gallocatechin.
    NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (AMERICAN PERSIMMON) One medium raw American persimmon provides 32 calories, 8.4 g carbohydrate, 0.2 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 1.6 g dietary fiber, 17 mg vitamin C, 78 mg potassium, 7 mg calcium, and 7 mg phosphorus.
    NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (JAPANESE PERSIMMON) One medium raw Japanese persimmon provides 118 calories, 31.2 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 0.03 g fat, 6 g dietary fiber, 12.6 mg vitamin C, 270 mg potassium, 13 mg calcium, and 29 mg phosphorus.
    UNRIPE PERSIMMONS
    Unripe persimmons contain a tannin called shibuol that can contribute to the unusual medical problem called a bezoar. The tannin combines with the acid in the stomach to become a kind of glue, which can then collect fruit seeds, skins, and fiber, forming a lump that may need to be surgically removed.
Bringing It Home
    Choose persimmons that have good, bright color and whole, shiny skins with no cracks or leaks. Fully ripe persimmons will feel thin-skinned and full of juice. Handle them carefully.
    American persimmons are native to eastern North America and can even be found wild from Virginia to Wisconsin. Because freezing helps to ripen the fruit, American persimmons can be harvested from September through December, even after frost. Persimmon festivals are held in North Carolina and Illinois in November, and in Indiana in late September.
    Japanese persimmons have been grown in California since the 19th century, and their season is slightly longer than that of the American version. Orange County, California, holds a persimmon festival in November, celebrating the California fruits. Japanese immigrants brought with them a traditional method of drying per-simmons that results in a dried fruit called
hoshigaki.
Dried persimmons are also available in other, less specialized forms.
    Persimmons can go from ripe to overripe in a very short period of time, so enjoy ripe persimmons within a day or two, or buy persimmons that are still firm and ripen them at room temperature in a paper bag. Once they are ripe, store them in the refrigerator. Take advantage of the fact that persimmons can be ripened by freezing: Freeze them overnight, then thaw them for eating. This “ripening” also converts the tannins to a more edible form.
    Because ripe persimmons are so fragile, specialty farmers and some food stores carry canned or frozen persimmon pulp for year-round use.
    Livit Recipe
Persimmon Yogurt Parfait
    1 tablespoon brown sugar
    2 cups nonfat vanilla yogurt
    2 persimmons, peeled and cut into 16 thin slices
    1 cup fresh raspberries
    1 cup low-fat granola
    â€¢ In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and yogurt until they are well blended.
    â€¢ Set out four 8-ounce dessert glasses. Spoon ¼ cup of the sugared yogurt mixture into each glass. Layer each with 4 persimmon slices, 2 tablespoons of the raspberries, and 2 tablespoons of the granola. Repeat the layers, finishing with granola. Serve immediately.
    YIELD 4 servings
    NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING 276 calories, 57 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 2 g fat, 4 g dietary fiber
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Benefits
    Pineapples are another food, like papayas, that contains an enzyme that breaks down proteins. In the case of pineapples, the enzyme is bromelain. In addition to making pineapple a good meat tenderizer, bromelain helps block some metabolic products that contribute to inflammation, making it a good anti-inflammatory. Isolated bromelain has been used to treat sports injuries, digestive problems, swelling, and other problems involving inflammation. Its action on proteins has also been found to reduce blood clots, especially in arteries.
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