Overview
About Persimmon
Persimmon is graded high FODMAP, and the reason is excess fructose rather than the fructans that catch most people out, with a moderate sorbitol load on top.
It is otherwise a remarkably clean fruit: low histamine, no liberator activity, no lactose, gluten, nickel or free glutamate, and only moderate salicylate. The trigger persimmon is genuinely famous for is not a food chemical at all. Unripe astringent varieties are loaded with soluble tannins that polymerise in stomach acid, and persimmon is the single most common food cause of a gastric bezoar, which is why ripeness and variety matter more here than with any other fruit.
Sensitivities
How Persimmon scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- High FODMAP driven by excess fructose, so a whole fruit can bring on bloating, wind or loose stools in people who tolerate low fructose fruit fine, with a moderate sorbitol load adding to the effect
- Unripe astringent persimmon is exceptionally high in soluble tannins, which react with stomach acid and can clump into a hard mass called a diospyrobezoar. Persimmon is the most frequently reported food behind these
- Bezoar risk is concentrated in people with slow stomach emptying: previous gastric surgery, diabetic gastroparesis, or low stomach acid. It is not a general warning for people with normal digestion eating ripe fruit
- The astringent versus non astringent split is the practical fix. Acorn shaped astringent types such as hachiya are only safe to eat when fully soft and jelly like, while squat non astringent types such as fuyu can be eaten firm and crisp
- Dried persimmon concentrates several fruits worth of fructose into a few small pieces, so the FODMAP load per portion climbs sharply while salicylate, already moderate in the fresh fruit, concentrates with it
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Persimmon
Is persimmon low FODMAP?
No. Persimmon is graded high FODMAP, and the main culprit is excess fructose, meaning more fructose than glucose in the fruit, which drags water into the bowel when the surplus is not absorbed. Sorbitol sits at a moderate level as well, so the two stack. Fructans and GOS are not the issue here, which is why persimmon can upset people who handle onion and wheat without trouble.
Why does persimmon make my mouth feel dry and furry?
That is astringency, not an allergic reaction. Soluble tannins in an underripe persimmon bind the lubricating proteins in your saliva, which strips the slippery feel from your mouth. It is the clearest signal that you are eating an astringent variety before it has ripened enough. Once the fruit softens fully those tannins become insoluble and the sensation disappears.
Can eating persimmon really block your stomach?
It can in specific circumstances. The soluble tannin in unripe astringent persimmon polymerises on contact with gastric acid and can bind with fibre into a firm mass known as a diospyrobezoar, the most commonly reported food bezoar in the medical literature. The risk sits almost entirely with people whose stomachs empty slowly, such as after gastric surgery or with diabetic gastroparesis, and rises with large quantities of unripe fruit eaten with the skin on. A ripe persimmon in a healthy stomach is not a hazard.
Is persimmon high in histamine or salicylates?
Persimmon is low in histamine and is not a histamine liberator, so it is a reasonable fruit on a histamine protocol. Salicylate is moderate rather than high, so it is usually tolerated outside of a strict elimination phase. It is also free of lactose, gluten, nickel, sulfites and free glutamate. For persimmon the story is fructose and tannin, not the amine and salicylate triggers.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.