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Persimmon allergy
Last reviewed: 08.07.2025
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A juicy orange, finely scented sweet fruit that beckons us with the onset of the first frosts. Can it be dangerous? "Yes" and once again "yes". Persimmon owes its indescribable sunny appearance to the high content of carotenoids, the taste of the fruit is formed from a large amount of fructose with the addition of vitamins, microelements (which contain iodine in large quantities), an astringent taste is given by tannins. This bouquet is very dangerous for people who are capable of hyperimmune reactions to at least one of the components of persimmon. Persimmon allergy is a type of food allergy, its prevalence is no different from the frequency of allergic reactions to other types of food allergens.
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How does persimmon allergy manifest itself?
Sensitive people may experience side effects after eating persimmons.
- dermatitis (redness and rashes on the skin with itching sensations);
- allergic edema (up to the state of Quincke's edema);
- gastrointestinal disorders (flatulence, diarrhea, pain, vomiting);
- disorders of the cardiovascular system (arrhythmia, tachycardia, hypotension, fainting);
- disruption of the function and integrity of the mucous membranes (abundant accumulation of exudate in the nasopharynx, bronchi, combined with their swelling and ulceration);
- anaphylactic shock.
All these manifestations can be caused by both combinations of some allergenic components and carotenoids themselves. Allergy to persimmon is very often combined with a. to all types of plants containing them. K. for the human body are substances - natural stimulants of the immune system. Stimulation occurs in several ways. Firstly, k. are antioxidants, they inhibit pyroxide (oxidative) reactions of free radicals, thereby increasing the lifespan of lymphocytes. Secondly, they serve as catalysts in the proliferation reaction (reproduction by cell division) of lymphocytes (immune cells). Thirdly, k. inhibit the synthesis of omega fatty acids, which, in turn, inhibits (inhibits) the synthesis of prostaglandin E2, the lack of which increases the activity of NK cells that produce gamma interferon. All these features of the effect of k. lead to stimulation of non-specific immunity. The described process occurs especially actively in children and the elderly due to age-related changes - immaturity (or fading) of the immune system.
An allergic reaction to this fruit can also be caused by the microelements that it contains. An allergy to persimmon can manifest itself at any age, for example, when it gets to a child with mother's milk. As a rule, in infancy this reaction will manifest itself in the form of "urticaria". To eliminate symptoms at this age, it is enough for the mother to exclude persimmon from her diet; it will probably be necessary to exclude other products containing carotene.
Like any plant product, persimmon contains volatile aromatic substances, complex protein complexes, and traces of chemical surface treatment to increase shelf life. It is extremely difficult to conduct a full chemical analysis of these substances and predict their interaction with the human immune system. As a rule, foodborne illness is hereditary, but the mechanism of this disorder is triggered in the event of provocation of endogenous factors by the person himself.
How is persimmon allergy recognized?
When diagnosing an allergy to persimmon, it should be taken into account that the high content of tannins (tannins) can cause intestinal obstruction, which at the onset of the disease can be mistaken for a manifestation of a food allergic reaction.
When an allergy to persimmon develops, one can observe a typical picture of an increase in the immune response with a decrease in the volume of the introduced allergen, that is, the development of the sensitization process.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that the allergenicity of persimmon decreases during its heat treatment and drying. Most likely, during cooking, complex protein complexes are destroyed, which were regarded by the sensitized immune system as antigens, which often leads to a complete absence of an allergic reaction.
The basis for the treatment of food allergies are various methods, including the method of desensitization and hormonal therapy. It should be especially emphasized that such a diagnosis as persimmon allergy should be carefully checked and confirmed before starting treatment.