Dear Readers, Kiwis are one of the most popular fruits. No wonder, because they are extremely tasty, healthy, and low in calories. The brown, hairy fruit is pack with healthy ingredients such as vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and valuable vitamin K.
Kiwi – from China to New Zealand
The kiwi originally comes from China and only reached New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century, where it has been the national fruit par excellence ever since. Kiwi is now grown not only in China and New Zealand but also in Europe.
Italy, for example, is the world’s second-largest producer of kiwi, but the berries also get cultivate in France and Greece.
In the meantime, research has also discovered the kiwi fruit, and more and more studies are proving their positive effects on human health.
Kiwi Benefits for Health and Beauty
Golden and green kiwi fruit
There are now two different types of kiwi in the market. The green kiwis are mostly of the “Hayward” variety, and the golden kiwi is known under the brand name “Zespri Gold”.
Both have similar ingredients and effects, even if the two fruits differ somewhat in terms of taste. The golden kiwi tastes a little milder and sweeter than the green kiwi.
The nutrients in the kiwi
Just like fruit in general, kiwi benefits contain a lot of water and hardly any fat. The sugar content is medium. Our nutrient table shows you all the values of 100 g fresh kiwifruit in detail.
80.5 g of water
0.6 g fat
1 g protein
10.8 g carbohydrates (of which 10.5 g sugar: 4.7 g glucose and 4.4 g fructose)
3.9 grams of fiber
The calorie content of the kiwi
Kiwis are the perfect fruit for a sweet snack in between. They not only taste delicious and are extremely healthy but also very low in calories. 100 g of kiwifruit contains only 61 kcal. There are fruits with lower calorie content, for example, 32 kcal with the same amount of strawberries but counting calories really make no sense here.
The Glycemic Load of Kiwi
The Glycemic Index (GI) of kiwifruit is 50 – values up to 55 consider low. The GI is how a carbohydrate-containing food affects blood sugar levels. The higher the GI, the more the blood sugar level rises after eating.
The disadvantage is that the GI always refers to 100 g of carbohydrates in the respective food, regardless of how high the carbohydrate content per 100 g of food is.
Therefore, one should better pay attention to the glycemic load (GL). Because this refers to the number of carbohydrates contained per serving. 100 grams of fresh kiwifruit have a very low GL of 5 (values up to 10 consider low). Food with a low value has the great advantage that it provides you with long-term energy without creating cravings.
Kiwi – the vitamins
In terms of vitamin content, the kiwi can offer you a lot. Particularly noteworthy is the high vitamin C content. If you only eat a single kiwi, you can meet almost 100 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement. Below you will find the vitamins of the kiwi fruit.
The kiwi benefits contain these minerals
In terms of mineral content, the kiwi does not do as well as it does in terms of vitamins, but it can still help meet daily needs. Below you will find the minerals in kiwi fruit.
Kiwi is full of vitamin C
Anyone who has ever eaten a kiwi will know that it tastes fruity-sweet, but also sour at the same time. The berry owes this acidic and fresh taste to the large amounts of vitamin C found in its pulp. 1.5 kiwifruit already covers the officially stated daily requirement of an adult for vitamin C.
Vitamin C, in turn, is a true super vitamin: It has an immune-boosting, detoxifying, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and much more effective.
In stressful situations, in particular, it is important to ensure that you have an adequate supply of vitamin C. Research has shown that people with higher levels of vitamin C in their blood can cope better with stress and generally show fewer signs of negative stress, such as high blood pressure or high levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), than people with lower levels of vitamin C Reflect.
Kiwi improve iron absorption
Not only are kiwi themselves full of healthy vitamins and minerals, but they also help to better utilize and absorb minerals from food.
A study from 2011 by Massey University in New Zealand showed that consuming two kiwis in combination with iron-rich muesli significantly increased the iron level in the blood of women with low levels within 16 weeks compared to the control group.
The control group was a group of women who also received iron-fortified muesli, but instead of the two kiwis, they ate a banana with it.
The researchers attributed the better iron supply in the kiwi group to the high vitamin C and carotenoid content of the kiwi fruit. These substances increase the absorption of iron from the intestine.
Further studies, both in cell experiments and in humans, show high consumption of kiwi. Here especially the consumption of golden kiwi benefits can not only improve the absorption of iron, but also of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Kiwi is rich in antioxidants
Kiwi is also rich in antioxidants, which can protect against oxidative cell damage and associated diseases such as cancer, dementia, or stroke. But we need antioxidants not only for our health but also to maintain our youthfulness for longer. Because antioxidants are ideal anti-aging helpers.
In 2011, researchers from Teikyo University in Tokyo, Japan compared the antioxidant power of kiwi fruit to that of grapefruits and oranges, which are also rich in vitamin C. They found that the antioxidant power of the kiwi was far superior to that of the citrus, with the golden kiwi being even more antioxidant than its green relative.
The researchers noted that kiwi benefits can prevent the onset and progression of diseases caused by oxidative stress.
Kiwi – the secondary plant substances
But kiwis benefits have even more to offer for our health. For example, they are also rich in various phytochemicals.
For a long time, it was thought that phytochemicals were not beneficial to human health. In the meantime, however, we know that precisely these secondary plant substances are very important for health, as they have antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, and ultimately anti-tumor effects, among other things.
Lutein and zeaxanthin protect the eyes
Two of the secondary plant substances typical of kiwi are, for example, lutein and zeaxanthin, two substances from the group of carotenoids. Lutein and zeaxanthin make up about 54 percent of the carotenoids in kiwi. Kiwi benefits only surpass egg yolks and corn and are therefore among the absolute frontrunners.
Lutein and zeaxanthin both accumulate in the macula of the eye, protecting it from damage from UV or screen radiation. The other health benefits of the two carotenoids include protection against the following ailments and dangers.
Night blindness
Macular degeneration
Blue light (screen, TV)
General weak eyesight
Cataract (cataracts)
Dry eyes
Premature aging
Vascular diseases
Caffeic acid protects against cancer
Other phytochemicals that are found in abundance in kiwi benefits are phenolic acids and, in particular, caffeic acid. As the name suggests, caffeic acid is mainly found in coffee. A cup of coffee contains between 25 and 75 mg of caffeic acid. Kiwi can easily keep up here. They contain 100 mg of caffeic acid per 100 grams – without any roasting substances and without stimulating caffeine.
According to scientific research, caffeic acid has a clear anti-tumor effect on various cancer cells, such as stomach cancer, colon cancer, fibrosarcoma, uterine cancer, and prostate cancer.
Even if this effect has so far only been proven in cell and animal experiments, you should definitely include fruits rich in phenolic acid such as kiwi in your diet if you have cancer.
Of course, there are other foods that can help with cancer, such as blueberries and cruciferous vegetables. And since food never has just one effect, it is not surprising that both blueberries and kiwi benefits also have an extremely positive influence on the cardiovascular system.
Kiwi for the heart
According to studies, as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Kiwifruit can increase the good HDL cholesterol, in return, lower the triglyceride levels (blood lipids) and high blood pressure and improve blood clotting. Each of these effects now ensures a healthy and strong heart as well as strong and elastic blood vessels.
Kiwifruit for insomnia
Even with insomnia, kiwifruit can help you sleep better. So instead of resorting to sleeping pills with many side effects, you could simply eat two kiwi fruit an hour before going to bed.
Because that’s exactly what the test subjects did in a study by Taipei Medical University. Twenty-four men and women between the ages of 20 and 55 consumed two kiwis every evening for four weeks before going to bed.
After the four weeks of the study, the total sleep duration and sleep efficiency increase significantly, whereas the time to fall asleep and the time of sleep interruptions were significantly reduced.
Of course, if you have sleep problems, you should generally pay attention to a healthy and balanced diet, avoid too much coffee and limit cell phone and computer use before going to bed, as the blue light on the screens reduces the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
Kiwis keep our intestines healthy
Kiwi benefits also provide intestinal-friendly so-called prebiotic substances that serve as food for intestinal flora. The better the intestinal flora supply with prebiotics, the better it can protect the intestine and prevent the colonization of harmful bacteria.
Because of the harmful intestinal bacteria can damage the intestine and in the worst case lead to the leaky gut syndrome. Leaky Gut literally means “holey intestine”, although here by no means the entire intestine is holey, only parts.
This means that incompletely digested food particles get into the blood and can trigger a variety of negative reactions such as inflammation, allergies, and autoimmune diseases.
In order for the good gut bacteria to keep the bad bacteria in check, they need good nutrition: prebiotics. The prebiotics includes, for example, the inulin in Jerusalem artichoke, salsify, and chicory. But the fiber considers having a prebiotic effect, as it promotes the development of healthy intestinal flora.
Kiwis are now one of those foods that have a particularly high amount of pectin. And according to human studies, have a positive effect on intestinal flora and increase the number of good lactic acid bacteria. Studies also suggest that regular consumption of kiwi fruit can alleviate leaky gut syndrome. And if the intestine is healthy, then that alone reduces the risk of cancer, as we have explained here.
Kiwi fruit against constipation
Constipation is one of the most common diseases in industrialized countries. In a Chinese study of 33 constipation patients and 20 non-constipated patients, it was shown that consuming two kiwi fruit a day massively improves the symptoms of constipation.
In the healthy volunteers, however, there was no change in stool frequency or stool consistency. So the kiwifruit does not cause diarrhea in people with healthy digestion.
Another study looked at the effects of kiwi fruit on patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. Here, too, the test subjects ate two green kiwis per day for a period of four weeks.
At the end of the four weeks, the stool frequency had increased and the duration of the intestinal passage i.e. the time the food spends in the intestine decreased.
In addition to other home remedies for constipation such as prunes or dried fruit, kiwi can contribute to normal bowel function. And thus relieve millions of people from the unpleasant symptoms of constipation.
Kiwifruit for a strong immune system
Kiwi is also extremely beneficial for the immune system. New Zealand researchers have examined the effect of kiwifruit on the duration and severity of respiratory diseases.
Would colds, coughs, and the like go away faster if you ate four kiwis a day?
32 elderly patients over 65 years of age took part in this study and were divided into two groups. One group ate four kiwis a day for four weeks, while the control group ate two bananas a day.
Compared to the banana group, the incidence of respiratory diseases in the kiwi group was unchanged. But the duration and severity of the colds were shortened.
A similar study was also done with children. A group of elementary school children was randomly assigned to either a group that ate two kiwis a day or a group that ate bananas every day instead.
It was now shown that the children from the kiwi benefits group almost halved their risk of catching a cold or a flu-like infection!
Your immune system will thank you if you now make kiwifruit a part of your daily diet – especially during the cold season when the risk of catching a cold or flu is generally higher.
Kiwi and the hormonal balance
The hormonal balance can also benefit from increased kiwi consumption. In a double-blind and placebo-control study on Australian women going through menopause, for example, it was shown that kiwi – here in the form of a kiwi extract – were able to harmonize the hormonal status of women.
The researchers attributed the hormone-balancing effect on the one hand to the abundant vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and secondary plant substances in kiwi, and on the other hand to the fact that kiwi contains small amounts of phytoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens are secondary plant substances that are similar to the female sex hormone estrogen and that occupy the estrogen receptors. Since phytoestrogens have a weaker effect than the “real” estrogens, estrogen dominance can be alleviated in this way.
In the case of an estrogen deficiency, on the other hand. The phytoestrogens can to a certain extent replace the missing hormones. According to science, phytoestrogens can therefore in some cases even cause various types of cancer. Prevent breast cancer.
If someone is plague by unpleasant menopausal symptoms and at the same time. Like kiwi fruit, you could together with other natural hormone-regulating measures also increase your kiwi consumption.
Kiwifruit as a natural mood enhancer
But because of the mood-enhancing effects of kiwi, it is actually worth eating the delicious fruits more often, as researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand had shown.
35 men were divided into two groups and had to eat either half or two golden kiwis per day for four weeks. The people who ate two kiwi fruit a day reported significantly reduced mood swings, tiredness, and depression, and increased vitality.
Of course, if you are depressed, you should also pay attention to a balanced and healthy diet and consider other naturopathic measures such as a certain breathing method or aromatherapy.
Kiwi in the kitchen
Kiwis are eaten raw, which is very beneficial for the heat-sensitive ingredients in kiwi, such as vitamin C.
For example, kiwifruit can be useful perfectly in plant-based yogurt, quark, or mueslis. They are also welcome in fruit salads and they cut a good and, above all, tasty figure in smoothies. A delicious kiwi dessert is the following cream.
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