Kiwifruit, also known as Actinidia deliciosa, is a popular edible berry that is named after a kind of bird in New Zealand. Kiwi has an oval shape and similar size of a large hen’s egg.
While the skin of kiwifruit is dull and brown, its flesh is golden and bright green with tiny black seeds. The fruit is popular thanks for its sweet and unique flavor.
Accordingly, kiwifruit is commercially cultivated in several countries like New Zealand, Chile, Italy, France and Greece.
Kiwifruit contains a high nutritional value, including antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals as well as other precious substances. This makes it a perfect fruit with a countless number of health benefits.
With such impressive nutritional value of kiwi, the fruit provides us a wide range of health benefits. For further detail, please take a look at Health Benefits of Kiwi.
Kiwifruit Nutrition
It is estimated that with a kiwi fruit (70g), you get 42.09 calories, 0.8 grams of protein, 10.1 grams of carbohydrate and 0.4 grams of fat. Besides, a fresh kiwifruit contains in itself approximately 80% of water.
Let’s take a closer look at nutrition facts of kiwifruits.
Carbohydrates
After water, carbohydrates are essential elements that account for 15% of fruit’s weight [1].
The main sugars of these carbs are glucose and fructose. This makes kiwi a safe solution for those with diabetes since it has low glycemic index.
Fiber
Fiber is another component in kiwifruit, which make up for only 2-3% of the flesh [2].
The content of fiber in kiwifruit consists of soluble fiber like pectin and insoluble fiber like hemicellulose and lignin.
Most of soluble fiber and some kinds of insoluble fiber are fermented in the colon, simulating the production of short-chain fatty acids to improve colon health.
Furthermore, a proper amount of fiber intake is a good way to stave off constipation, diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.
Vitamins and Minerals
As other fresh fruit, kiwifruit is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including:
- Vitamin C: with only 1 kiwifruit, you are supplied 77% of the body’s daily requirement for vitamin C. This impressive figure shows that kiwi contains higher amount of vitamin C than lemons or other citrus fruits.
- Vitamin K1: this vitamin is essential for bone health, kidney and able to reduce blood clotting.
- Vitamin E: This substance is rich in the seeds of kiwifruit but it is hardly digested so the benefits the body can get are limited.
- Copper: the substance contributes the heart health.
- Folate: the vitamin is important for various functions of the body, especially for pregnant women.
- Potassium: a proper amount of this mineral is beneficial for heart health [3].
Other Compounds
Kiwifruit is also an ample source of antioxidants and other compounds.
- Lutein: An antioxidant used to improve vision health.
- Quercetin: This substance acts as a powerful antioxidant reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease.
- Actinidin: Although actinidin can cause an allergy to some people, it still can aid protein digestion.
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