Whether it’s green and fuzzy or gold and smooth, these berries from the Far East are loaded with nutrients with powerful effects. Read on to know more about the health benefits of kiwi fruit.
Native to China, kiwis are rich in antioxidant nutrients, potassium and fibre, making them beneficial for digestion and metabolic health.
What are the Health Benefits of Kiwi Fruit?
Here are a few reasons to incorporate kiwis into our diets.
Improvement of Gut Health
Kiwi fruit typically contains about two-thirds of insoluble fibre and one-third soluble fibre. Kiwi fruit fibre also has an impressive water retention capacity.
Studies have shown that daily consumption of two kiwi fruits can increase stool frequency, reduce transit time through the intestines and improve intestinal comfort.
This helps with constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Kiwi fruit intake also causes a reduction in bloating, stomach cramps and rumbling following a meal, which is especially common among women and the elderly.
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Improvement of Weight Management & Diabetes
Green and gold kiwi fruits are considered “low GI” (Glycemic Index) fruits, making them suitable for weight management and diabetes.
Researchers say that the partial substitution of starch-based staple food, such as a high-carb breakfast cereal, with kiwifruit, could be an effective and healthy way to improve glucose regulation in the body.
Lowering of Cholesterol
Research has demonstrated that an intake of two kiwi fruits a day for 8 weeks by individuals with high cholesterol levels significantly increased HDL (the “good” cholesterol), while LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides were found to be profoundly decreased.
Prevention of Clot Formation
The presence of clots (thrombi) in the blood vessels raises the risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes.
Research has found that kiwi fruits have some anti-thrombotic (prevents clot formation) effects among men, including the elderly.
Furthermore, kiwis are a rich source of Vitamin C and vitamin E, the antioxidant nutrients, which protect the lining of our blood vessels.
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Lowering Blood Pressure
Kiwifruit is naturally low in sodium while being high in potassium content. Both green and golden kiwifruits contain about 300 mg of potassium per 100g of fruit, making them suitable fruit for lowering blood pressure.
One study even demonstrated that having three kiwifruits a day for 3 weeks can promote significant anti-hypertensive.
Takeaway
-Kiwis are a rich source of antioxidants, potassium and fibre
-Kiwis positively impact digestive and cardiovascular health
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Source
-Richardson DP, Ansell J, Drummond LN. The nutritional and health attributes of kiwifruit: a review. European journal of nutrition. 2018 Dec;57(8):2659-76.
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