Kiwi (kiwifruit) or Chinese gooseberry is the term given to the edible berries of some species of woody vines in the Actinidia family. The most common cultivar kind of kiwifruit is oval with a rubbery, dull greenish-brown skin and golden or bright green flesh with rows of little, black, edible seeds. It’s sort texture and green flesh is nearly creamy in consistency with an invigorating taste reminiscent of melons, bananas, and strawberries, yet with its own unique flavor. Eating kiwi has numerous health benefits. This fruit is a commercial crop in many countries, such as New Zealand, Italy, France, Greece, and Chile.
Kiwifruit is packed with more vitamin C than an equal amount of orange, the bright green flesh of the kiwi spotted with tiny black seeds enhances a dramatic tropical bent to any fruit salad. The New Zealand produce hits the market from June to October, while California kiwi is available from November to May making fresh kiwifruits available year round.
Health Benefits of Eating Kiwi
This emerald delight contains numerous phytonutrients as well as well-known minerals and vitamins that promote your health. Eating kiwi can provide you the recommended daily dose of Vitamin C and give you a great energy. Here are some of the most impressive benefits of eating kiwi:
- Beautiful Skin
The skin’s support system, collagen, is reliant on Vitamin C as a crucial nutrient which works in the body as a powerful antioxidant to help prevent damage caused by smoke, pollution, and the sun, smooth your wrinkles and improve general skin texture.
- Lowering Blood Pressure
Due to its high potassium content, kiwifruit can help negate the effect of sodium in the body. It’s possible that a low intake of potassium is just as big of a risk factor in developing high blood pressure as a high intake of sodium.
Less than 2% of adults in the U.S. meet the daily 4700 mg recommendation for potassium, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Moreover, a high potassium intake is linked with a 20% reduced risk of dying from all causes.
- Good for Vision & Prevention of Eye Disease
Kiwifruit is a great source of lutein that not just protects the skin, but is also a strong phytochemical which can prevent age-related macular degeneration and many other eye diseases. Lutein can protect the eye by filtering out harmful short-wavelength UV light. One large kiwi contains 171 milligrams lutein, which is considerably higher than almost any other fruit. Along with lutein, kiwi has an incredible supply of Vitamin A, another carotenoid that is also very beneficial to optimum eye health.
- Cardiovascular Health
The potassium and fiber in kiwis support cardiovascular health. According to Mark Houston, MD, MS, a director of the Hypertension Institute at St Thomas Hospital in Tennessee and associate clinical professor of medicine at Vanderbilt Medical School, a decrease in sodium intake along with an increase in potassium intake is the most crucial dietary change that a person could make to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.
In one study, participants who ate 4069 mg potassium a day had a 49% lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease compared with participants who ate less potassium (around 1000 mg a day).
High intake of potassium is also related with a preservation of bone mineral density, protection against loss of muscle mass, reduction in the formation of kidney stones, and reduced risk of stroke.
- Constipation Prevention
Several studies have reported that the kiwifruit might have a mild laxative effect and can be used as a dietary supplement particularly for elderly persons experiencing constipation. Eating kiwi regularly was proven to promote normal stool production.
- Better Sleep
It was found that eating kiwi can improve sleep onset, time, and efficiency in people with self-reported sleep disturbances, according to a study on the effects of kiwi consumption on sleep quality in people with sleep problems.
Interesting Facts About Kiwi
- Kiwi got its name after the Kiwi bird from New Zealand – an unusual non-flying bird—because they are both little, brownish, and furry.
- Notall kiwis are fuzzy! Fuzzy kiwifruit is the most popular species of kiwi, however, there is also golden kiwifruit with a smooth bronze skin. The golden kiwi is actually more aromatic and sweeter.
- Even though kiwifruit has been native to China for thousands of yeast, almost no one in North America distinguished what they were about sixty years ago. Kiwifruits were first introduced to America in 1962.
- Although kiwi can grow in almost any temperate climate, most of the world’s kiwifruits are grown in New Zealand, Chile, and Italy.
- Yeah, you can consume the fuzz if you want.
Kiwi Nutrition
One medium kiwi contains about:
- 42 calories
- 8 grams’ protein
- 4 grams’ total fat
- 1 grams’ fiber
- 2 milligrams iron
- 17 micrograms folate
- 252 milligrams potassium
- 64 milligrams Vitamin C
- 3 micrograms Vitamin A
The fuzzy small kiwifruit also packs in the essential nutrients copper, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium, and choline. Kiwi is higher in Vitamin C per ounce than most other fruits.
How to select kiwi?
Hold kiwifruit in the palm of the hand and simple squeeze gently. If the kiwi is ripe it will yield to slight pressure – like a peach or avocado. Green kiwi tastes better when ripe.
How to store kiwi?
To ripen, you can leave kiwi out at room temperature for about 3 to 7 days. Ripe kiwifruit could be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Incorporating More Kiwi into Your Diet
Here are some simple tips to incorporate more kiwi into your diet:
- Cut a ripe kiwifruit in half. Leave the skin so you can use it as its own natural bowl. Eat each half with a spoon.
- Freeze some slices of kiwifruit and eat them as a dessert or snack on a hot day.
- Prepare your own fresh tropical cocktail and include kiwi, mango, strawberries, and pineapple. If you like pineapple, here you can find more about its amazing benefits: LINK Drizzle some honey on top of the mix for an extra sweet treat.
- Dice up kiwifruit and use as a salad topper over a bed of diced apple, dried cranberries, walnuts, spinach, walnuts, feta cheese, and a light vinaigrette dressing.
- Make a green juice or smoothie with kiwi, pears, apple, and spinach.
Precaution:
Kiwi contains a determinate amount of oxalates, which is naturally occurring substance that can be found in many animals and plants. When oxalates get too concentrated in body liquids, they could crystallize and cause certain health issues. People with gallbladder or kidney problems may thus want to avoid eating kiwi.
Kiwifruit also contains enzyme substances linked with the latex-fruit allergy syndrome. In case you suffer from a latex allergy, you may be allergic to kiwifruit as well. Since ripening the kiwi with ethylene gas upturns these substances, organic kiwifruit not treated with gas will have less allergy-causing compounds. These enzymes can be also deactivated with cooking.
Conclusion:
Eating kiwi is truly beneficial for your health. Just 1 cup of kiwifruit provides about 275 % of the recommended daily doses of Vitamin C.
Kiwi nutrition benefits include improving skin health and counteracting aging, providing potent antioxidants as vitamin C and vitamin E, improving respiratory health, aiding sleep, aiding in digestion protecting vision and preventing eye disease, improving the cardiovascular system, maintaining and repairing bone health, providing antifungal and antibacterial capabilities, and fighting cancer.
References
Hort.purdue.edu Nutrition411.com Whfoods.com Zesprikiwi.com Todaysdietitian.com Care2.com Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Ajcn.nutrition.org