The nutritional Kiwi

Competing with many other foods, kiwi is a tasty addition to your daily choice of fruits, such as oranges, apples and bananas.

Kiwi is a native fruit from southern China. (In Chinese, it is translated as Yang Tao or Chinese gooseberry) and it is their national fruit. Other countries that cultivate it commercially kiwi are Italy and New Zealand. To know about kiwi's nutritional properties is a good way to measure its daily vitamin and mineral intake.

Vitamin C

The next time you try to eat a citrus fruit, you're wrong. The kiwi contains more vitamin C than oranges, about one and a half times more. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, that stimulates the immune system, fight infection, and repair and regenerate body tissues.

Potassium

Kiwi contains about the same amount of potassium as a banana. Potassium regulates body fluids, electrolytes, acidity, blood pressure and also some neuromuscular functions.

Fiber

Due to its high fiber content, kiwi can sometimes act as a mild laxative to help move waste through the intestine. Therefore, it helps to the absorption of vitamins and minerals throughout the body.

Vitamin E

This vitamin has been desired by many people to stop the aging process, and kiwi has a good amount of vitamin E that may help to slow the degeneration of skin, and it would contribute to a healthier heart.

Kiwi for blood

A recent study was conducted for the only purpose of seeing the effect of kiwi in the blood. The results showed that eating two kiwis a day for about a month can "thin" the blood. This could benefit decreasing potential blood clots and fat that may be blocking the arteries.

Lutein

This is an amazing antioxidant that can be found in kiwi. It has been known that lutein, attacks the free radicals in the body to prevent disease. Therefore, it is a blue light absorber, which helps to prevent ocular diseases such as macular degeneration.

Zeaxanthin

Zeaxanthin works closely with lutein, mainly contributing to eye health.

Kiwi seeds and skin

The skin and seeds of a kiwi have important nutritional benefits. They have an oil with high content in omega-3 fatty acids, and alpha-linolenic acids. These two essential fatty acids are not produced by the body and must be acquired through our diet. They are very important because they contribute to the joint and heart metabolic health.

Kiwi skin is edible and is another excellent source of dietary fiber as well as an antioxidant flavonoid.

Facts

It is low in calories, a kiwi gives us only about 46 calories, so you can easily include it in your diets.

People who are allergic to latex, papayas or pineapples may also be allergic to kiwi.

Bees are not naturally attracted to kiwi's flower, therefore, pollination is difficult to maintain. Most producers place beehives in kiwi vine, forcing them to pollinate the flower of kiwi.

It is not recommended to combine the kiwi with milk, as it contains an enzyme called actinidin, which after having contact with milk proteins, destroys proteins. However, it is fit for consumption, while consuming at the time. If you want to use  it in dairy desserts, cook the kiwi, since heat destroys this enzyme.

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