Kiwi isn't an ordinary fruit. By looks, flavour and even when it comes to nutritional benefits, it is much distinct from other fruits. It has glistening green slices with dotted black seeds when peeled off from its brown fuzzy outer layer and offers a great sight for the eyes besides a tarty, refreshing flavour. With a Chinese origin, kiwi was earlier known as 'yang tao' and 'Chinese gooseberry' before it started to be commercially cultivated in New Zealand and marketed by the name of 'kiwi' because of its close resemblance to their national bird and was eventually crowned as the national fruit of New Zealand.
Kiwi Nutrition | Kiwi Fruit Benefits
Termed as an exotic fruit, kiwi rapidly garnered popularity across countries due to the many health benefits it offers. It is added to many desserts, cereals and salads or eaten just as is. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 grams of kiwi contain about 61 calories, 1.14 grams of protein, 0.52 gram of fat, 14.66 grams of carbohydrates and about 3 grams of fibre. Besides all of this, kiwi is loaded with health benefits that give a major boost to our body. Let's look at the many kiwi fruit benefits:
1. High On Vitamins & Minerals: With Vitamins A, B12, B6, E, iron, calcium and potassium, kiwi helps in proper functioning of the body by ensuring blood circulation in the vessels, iron absorption for healthy bones, good vision, etc.
2. Helps In Digestion: Presence of an enzyme known as actinidin helps in the proper digestion of proteins in the body and also helps patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
3. Rich Source Of Vitamin C: While you might think that oranges and lemons are the only rich sources of vitamin C, kiwi also isn't far from it. With a 154 percentage per 100 grams of vitamin C, kiwi proves to be a powerful antioxidant and also helps in boosting our immunity against harmful pathogens.
4. Good Source Of Dietary Fibre: Loaded with dietary fibre, kiwi helps in the prevention of numerous diseases. According to a study done by the University of Leeds, "Increasing consumption of fibre-rich foods can lower the risks of both coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD)."
With so much and more health benefits of kiwi, it would be ideal to include it in our diet. And to ease your next question of how to do that, we have a list of some of the best kiwi recipes to prepare at home.
