Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease

Look at these beautiful, organic persimmons! By the end of summer or early fall my parents always graciously send me a large box or two of these wonderful fruits also known to the Chinese as Chinese figs because of their natural sweetness.

According to the book Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine by David Hoffmann, persimmons are helpful in reducing your risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. He writes: "Lycopene occurs in the ripe fruits of tomatoes, Citrus species, persimmon, dog rose, and numerous other fruits and berries. It also occurs in the petals of many orange flowers, in very large amounts in the ripe seeds of bitter melon, in rutabagas, and in red varieties of carrot... Dietary intakes of tomatoes and products containing lycopene are associated with decreased risk of chronic illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Serum and tissue lycopene levels have also been shown to be inversely related to the risk of lung and prostate cancers. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant, which is clearly one of its major mechanisms of action."

I'm all about eating seasonal because it's Mother Nature's way of helping us stay healthy and boost our immune systems. If you're fortunate enough to get some persimmons now is the time to enjoy them. They are some of the most delicious fruits around.