Persimmons: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Persimmons are the orange fruit of Diospyros kaki, the Asian or Japanese persimmon, in the ebony family (Ebenaceae). The soft flesh is eaten fresh or dried. People eat them for sweetness, fiber and vitamins. This page keeps the food separate from supplements and leaf extracts, and from hype, and says plainly where the research is thin.

Read this first

• Persimmons are a normal food, but any food can cause an allergic reaction. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911. See food allergy basics and emergency signs. We did not find a source about persimmon allergy specifically, so we make no claim either way.
• Persimmons contain tannins (astringent plant compounds). Case reports describe hard tannin masses ("bezoars") blocking the stomach or bowel after eating persimmons, including unripe or dried ones and in people who had stomach surgery. [4][5][6][7]
• One 2026 case report describes raised clotting tests in a person on warfarin who ate unripe persimmons daily. If you take warfarin, ask your prescriber or pharmacist. [3]
• Honest summary: we found no human trial of the persimmon fruit for any health outcome. Trials exist for a leaf extract, which is a different product. Nothing here shows that persimmons prevent or treat a disease.

What is in it (USDA values)

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, Persimmons, japanese, raw [1]. The USDA household portion is 1 fruit (2-1/2 in diameter, 168 g); per-fruit values are our own scaling of the USDA per-100 g figures. % Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, ripeness and storage.

USDA also lists carotenoids per 100 g: beta-cryptoxanthin 1,447 µg, lutein plus zeaxanthin 834 µg, beta-carotene 253 µg and lycopene 159 µg. [1] A 2026 review of persimmon peel, seeds, leaves and calyx describes phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins and carotenoids, and reports antioxidant and other effects mainly from lab and animal studies, with limited clinical testing. [2] So the plant-compound story is mostly lab-level; it has not been shown to prevent disease in people who eat the fruit.

What research says

Eaten as food vs taken as a supplement or extract. The only trials we found used a leaf extract, not the fruit. Results for an extract do not apply to eating persimmons, and leaf products vary by maker. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for the fruit itself.

How much is a normal serving

• The USDA household portion in our data is 1 fruit (168 g). [1] This is information, not a prescription; how much fruit suits you depends on age, sex, activity and health.
• Dried persimmons pack the same sugars and fiber into much less weight, so portions look smaller. We did not read a USDA value for dried persimmon.
• We did not find a source we could read on how drying or cooking changes persimmon nutrients: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Allergy: persimmon-specific allergy: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. For sudden swelling or trouble breathing call 911. See when to seek medical help after a food reaction.
• Tannin bezoar (a hard mass in the stomach or bowel): a 2025 case report describes a 93-year-old man who ate two persimmons a day; a mass over 98% tannin blocked his bowel and needed surgery. [4] Other reports involve dried persimmons in a woman who had earlier stomach surgery [5], a healthy 35-year-old who ate unripe persimmons [6], and a patient after sleeve gastrectomy, where the authors say people with past stomach operations are at high risk. [7] These are case reports; they show it can happen but not how often. Severe stomach pain, vomiting or a swollen belly need urgent medical care.
• Warfarin: in a 2026 case report a woman with mechanical heart valves had raised clotting tests after eating unripe persimmons daily for two weeks, with no bleeding; tests returned to baseline after she stopped and her warfarin dose was reduced. The authors suggest the effect may involve more than vitamin K. [3] USDA lists vitamin K as low (2.6 µg per 100 g). [1] One case is not proof of a rule, so ask your prescriber.
• Potassium and kidneys: one fruit has about 270 mg of potassium (6% of the Daily Value). [1] MedlinePlus says with chronic kidney disease the kidneys may not remove extra potassium, and some medicines can raise potassium. [9] Ask a clinician if this applies to you. See kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Sugar: about 21 g of sugars per fruit. [1] People managing diabetes should see foods for blood sugar control.
• Pregnancy, FODMAPs, pesticide residues: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read, so we make no claim.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Choose fruit that is not bruised or damaged. [10]
• Rinse produce under running water, without soap or produce wash. [10]
• Refrigerate cut or packaged fruit at 40 °F (about 4 °C) or below. [10]

Related pages

• Fruit juice vs whole fruit
• Fresh, frozen and canned produce
• Foods and medicine interactions: vitamin K, grapefruit and others
• Kidney disease, potassium and oxalates
• Herbs and blood thinners
• How much fiber per day, and side effects