NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Persimmon

Diospyros kaki

Tannin-rich autumn fruit with cholesterol-lowering fiber.

Preliminary evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
10 verified / 10
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium (168 g)

168gSERVING
  • Water 134.9 g81%
  • Sugars 21 g13%
  • Fibre 6 g4%
  • Other carbs 4.2 g3%
  • Protein 1 g1%
  • Fat 0.3 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Fiber21%Manganese26%Copper20%Vitamin A15%Vitamin C14%Vitamin B610%Potassium6%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
118 kcal1 g protein6 g fiber0.3 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Fiber6 g21%
Manganese0.59 mg26%
Copper0.18 mg20%
Vitamin A136 mcg RAE15%
Vitamin C13 mg14%
Vitamin B60.17 mg10%
Potassium270 mg6%
Sugars21 g42%
Beta-carotene425 mcg0%
Calcium13 mg1%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Persimmon?

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is a fruit used for lowers ldl/total cholesterol. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Persimmon is a sweet, fiber- and carotenoid-dense fruit whose distinctive bioactives are condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins). The strongest human signal is on blood lipids: a 12-week double-blind RCT (n=40) found 3 g/day of persimmon tannin-rich fiber significantly lowered total cholesterol and 5 g/day also lowered LDL cholesterol, and a 2025 meta-analysis of 16 trials of persimmon-leaf extract reported reductions in total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides. A small human/animal study showed kaki-tannin blunts the post-carbohydrate glucose rise, and a 120-day RCT of a 400 mg persimmon extract reduced fat mass in overweight adults without lean-mass loss. However, much of the evidence uses concentrated leaf or tannin extracts rather than the whole fresh fruit, sample sizes are small, the leaf-extract meta-analysis is China-only with high heterogeneity, and several trials are industry-linked, so benefits should be considered preliminary. As a whole food, persimmon is a nutritious fiber, potassium, manganese and provitamin-A source. Its high sugar load and tannin content also carry real cautions, especially the unripe (astringent) fruit.

Purported Benefits

✓Lowers LDL/total cholesterol
✓Blunts post-meal blood glucose
✓High dietary fiber
✓Carotenoid + vitamin A source
✓Antioxidant polyphenol content
✓May aid body-fat reduction

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
1 medium fresh fruit (~168 g); persimmon-extract supplement trials used 400 mg/day or 3–5 g/day tannin-rich fiber.
Active Compounds
Proanthocyanidins / condensed tannins (kaki-tannin, gallocatechin)Carotenoids (β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin)Soluble + insoluble dietary fiberFlavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin)Gallic & other phenolic acidsVitamin C (ascorbic acid)Triterpenoids (ursolic, betulinic acid)Potassium & manganese

Safety & Cautions

Astringent/unripe persimmons are high in soluble tannins that can polymerize in stomach acid and form a hardened mass (diospyrobezoar) causing gastric or intestinal obstruction—risk is greater with prior gastric surgery, diabetes, delayed gastric emptying, advanced age, and eating large amounts on an empty stomach. Tannins can bind iron and other minerals, reducing absorption. Sugar content (~21 g per fruit) is relevant for diabetes/glycemic control despite the glucose-blunting tannin effect. Possible allergy/oral itching in sensitive individuals. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Persimmon with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 10 studies

Meta-analysis Dong 2025 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 16 China-only RCTs (n=1,572): persimmon-leaf extract added to standard care reduced total cholesterol (MD -0.91 mmol/L), LDL (-0.47 mmol/L) and triglycerides (-0.43 mmol/L) and raised HDL (+0.24 mmol/L), with high heterogeneity.
Meta-analysis Aune 2017 ✓ PubMed
Dose–response meta-analysis (95 prospective studies): each 200 g/day of fruit + vegetables was associated with lower CVD (RR 0.92), cancer and all-cause mortality (RR 0.90)—context for whole-fruit intake including persimmon.
RCT Pérez-Piñero 2024 ✓ Full text
120-day double-blind RCT (n=71) of 400 mg/day persimmon extract: fat mass and percentage fell significantly vs placebo in overweight adults with no loss of lean mass; also lowered BMI, waist circumference and TNF-α.
Human trial + animal Takemori 2022 ✓ PubMed
Rat + human study: 1.88 g Kaki-tannin (Nara-type) significantly delayed the rise in plasma glucose after a maltooligosaccharide load in humans, with enzyme-inhibition mechanism shown in vitro/in rats.
RCT Gato 2013 ✓ PubMed
12-wk double-blind RCT (n=40): 3 g/day persimmon tannin-rich fiber significantly lowered total cholesterol; 5 g/day also significantly lowered LDL cholesterol vs placebo, with no change in HDL or triglycerides.
Review Direito 2021 ✓ Source
Review of Diospyros kaki phytochemistry: characterizes proanthocyanidins, carotenoids (β-cryptoxanthin), flavonoids and triterpenoids and their antioxidant, hypolipidemic and antidiabetic activities.
Case report Kato 2025 ✓ PubMed
Case report: a 93-year-old man developed jejunal obstruction from a 5×5 cm diospyrobezoar (>98% tannin) requiring surgery—illustrating bezoar risk from astringent persimmon, even without classic risk factors.
Prospective cohort Du 2017 ✓ Full text
Prospective cohort of ~0.5 million Chinese adults: daily fresh-fruit intake was associated with ~12% lower incident diabetes and, among diabetics, lower all-cause mortality and fewer micro-/macrovascular complications.
Mechanistic (animal/in vitro) Nishida 2021 ✓ PubMed
Mouse + in vitro study: kaki-tannin increased fecal bile-acid excretion 2.3-fold, prevented diet-induced rises in plasma cholesterol and fasting glucose, and showed bile-acid–binding capacity comparable to cholestyramine—supporting the lipid-lowering mechanism.
Mechanistic Matsumoto 2017 ✓ Full text
In vitro + in vivo study: persimmon tannin promoted macrophage reverse cholesterol transport by inhibiting ERK1/2 and activating PPARγ, supporting an anti-atherogenic mechanism.
10 sources cited · 10 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Persimmon

What is Persimmon used for?

Persimmon is most often taken for Lowers LDL/total cholesterol, Blunts post-meal blood glucose, High dietary fiber, Carotenoid + vitamin A source. Tannin-rich autumn fruit with cholesterol-lowering fiber.

Does Persimmon work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Persimmon is a sweet, fiber- and carotenoid-dense fruit whose distinctive bioactives are condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins). The strongest human signal is on blood lipids: a 12-week double-blind RCT (n=40) found 3 g/day of persimmon tannin-rich fiber significantly lowered total cholesterol and 5 g/day also lowered LDL cholesterol, and a 2025 meta-analysis of 16 trials of persimmon-leaf extract reported reductions in total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides. A small human/animal study showed kaki-tannin blunts the post-carbohydrate glucose rise, and a 120-day RCT of a 400 mg persimmon extract reduced fat mass in overweight adults without lean-mass loss. However, much of the evidence uses concentrated leaf or tannin extracts rather than the whole fresh fruit, sample sizes are small, the leaf-extract meta-analysis is China-only with high heterogeneity, and several trials are industry-linked, so benefits should be considered preliminary. As a whole food, persimmon is a nutritious fiber, potassium, manganese and provitamin-A source. Its high sugar load and tannin content also carry real cautions, especially the unripe (astringent) fruit.

What is the typical dose of Persimmon?

1 medium fresh fruit (~168 g); persimmon-extract supplement trials used 400 mg/day or 3–5 g/day tannin-rich fiber.

Is Persimmon safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Astringent/unripe persimmons are high in soluble tannins that can polymerize in stomach acid and form a hardened mass (diospyrobezoar) causing gastric or intestinal obstruction—risk is greater with prior gastric surgery, diabetes, delayed gastric emptying, advanced age, and eating large amounts on an empty stomach. Tannins can bind iron and other minerals, reducing absorption. Sugar content (~21 g per fruit) is relevant for diabetes/glycemic control despite the glucose-blunting tannin effect. Possible allergy/oral itching in sensitive individuals.

How many studies support Persimmon?

NutriDex cites 10 sources for Persimmon, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Persimmon (Diospyros kaki): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/persimmon

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_persimmon,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Persimmon (Diospyros kaki): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/persimmon},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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