Henny Penny Farmette

If you want to eat a heart-healthy fruit this the fall, don’t automatically assume it has to be an apple.

One medium persimmon is loaded with vitamins, contains about six grams of dietary fiber, and has more potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron than an apple.

Although apples do contain less sugar, carbs, and calories than persimmon, the latter fruit offers higher concentrations of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins A, C, and K.

Persimmon antioxidants neutralize and help remove the free radicals that can damage DNA inside cells.Cellular inflammation triggers and sustains chronic disease. When free radicals, a natural byproduct of cell metabolism, builds up, it results in oxidative stress and inflammation.

The polyphenols found in persimmons help scoop the “bad” LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream and protect blood vessels from oxidative stress–good for the heart.

Persimmons contain beta-carotene and lycopene. These are converted by the body into Vitamin A that protects the eyes against macular degeneration. The Vitamin C in persimmons, acting alongside the fruits flavonoids, boosts the body’s immune defenses as well as lowering blood pressure.

So, if you’re headed to the grocery store, farmer’s market, or local orchard to pick up some heart-healthy fruit this fall, consider the health benefits of persimmons. Better still, reach for both types of heart-healthy fruit–persimmons and apples. Your body will thank you.

If you enjoy reading about country living and growing heirloom fruits, vegetables, and berries or keeping bees like we do here on our farmette, you also might enjoy reading my Henny Penny Farmette series of mysteries. Each book includes delicious recipes and tips for growing and harvesting heirloom produce along with strategies for caring for chickens and bees.

The real Henny Penny Farmette is located in an inland valley east of the San Francisco Bay. These cozy mysteries as well my more than two dozen wellness and spirituality books are are available on Barnes and Nobles and Amazon or wherever books are sold. –ML

Tags: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, apples, bad cholesterol, beta-carotene, bloodstream, chronic disease, free radicals, heart-healthy, persimmons, polyphenols, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K