This powerful antioxidant fruit has significant amounts of over 20 vital nutrients. Kiwis are low in calories but high in energy, making them a great option for people trying to lose weight. Kiwi nutrition is super heart-healthy thanks to the high levels of potassium — which helps prevent low potassium — fiber and vitamin K

. Kiwis are proven to reduce symptoms associated with upper respiratory illnesses as well as digestive illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome.

Kiwi nutrition has elements that help with bone growth and maintenance, eye and vision health, and can even help you sleep better, among the following benefits.

1. Incredible Source of Antioxidant-Powered Vitamin C and E

One reason kiwifruit is undeniably a superfood is because it’s a high-antioxidant food that fights free radical damage.

In one study conducted by the Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, kiwifruit was supplemented to a normal diet and showed that with just one to two golden kiwifruit a day, a marked decrease in internal oxidative damage occurred.  A big reason for this is that vitamin C levels in kiwifruit outshine oranges and provide benefits that help repair and maintain a number of body tissues and systems.

In addition, kiwi’s vitamin E content is fat-free and a strong component in lowering cholesterol and fighting free radicals. Aside from the high levels of vitamin C and E, both natural antioxidants, kiwifruit is also rich in polyphenols that have immunostimulatory activity, meaning they can prompt an immune system response.

2. Counteracts Aging and Improves Skin Health

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies and the building block that maintains the skin, muscles, bones and tendons. It breaks down as we age and is dependent on vitamin C, which we know kiwifruit has plenty of.

According to research published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology, the polysaccharides in kiwifruit are able to double collagen synthesis in the body, compared to normal conditions when this activity reduces as we age. Kiwi is also host to a carotenoid and antioxidant called lutein, which is incredibly beneficial to skin health by protecting the skin from UV light, marking yet another kiwi nutrition benefit.

3. Improves Respiratory Health

Kiwifruit and other fruits high in vitamin C content have been used successfully to treat a number of respiratory illnesses. Two studies have shown beneficial reactions in both adults and children suffering from asthma and other respiratory illnesses and infections after adding kiwifruit to their diets. Both studies concluded that the fruit was able to enhance the vitamin C concentration in the body, which was able to reduce the symptoms of the patients, including decreasing wheezing, head congestion and duration of sore throat.

4. Good for Vision and Prevention of Eye Disease

Kiwi nutrition’s supply of lutein not only protects the skin, but is also a powerful phytochemical that can prevent many diseases of the eye, including age-related macular degeneration.  Lutein is able to protect the eye by filtering out damaging short-wavelength UV light.

Kiwifruit has 171 milligrams of lutein in one large fruit, which is substantially higher than almost any other fruit. Along with lutein, kiwifruit has a great supply of another carotenoid, vitamin A, which is also largely beneficial to optimum eye health.

5. Aids in Digestion

Kiwi has shown promise as a treatment of bowel and digestive disorders. A number of studies have shown kiwi helps reduce complications related to irritable bowel syndrome as well as inflammatory bowel disease. The findings of the studies suggest that adding kiwi to patients’ diets introduced antioxidants and fiber, which were able produce anti-inflammatory results, as well as overall improvements in bowel function.

6. Improves the Cardiovascular System

There’s no doubt kiwifruit is a heart-healthy superstar. One kiwi a day can provide a lower risk of stroke, blood clots and cardiovascular diseases.

The potassium in kiwifruit helps lower blood pressure, counteract sodium in the body and is a vasodilator, relaxing the blood vessels throughout the body. The fiber found in kiwi is also very heart-healthy, along with vitamin K, which is able to prevent the buildup of calcium in the arteries and therefore able to reduce the risk for heart attacks.

Studies have shown that people who regularly consume kiwifruit have 15 percent lowered triglyceride levels compared to those who do not. Kiwifruit is also a great source of omega-3s, magnesium, vitamin E and copper, all of which help keep the cardiovascular system working properly.

7. Bone Maintenance and Repair

Kiwifruit’s substantial supply of vitamin K is needed in your body for more than just healthy arteries. Vitamin K is needed to use calcium to make bones, which is why a vitamin K deficiency can be extremely troublesome. Studies suggest that diets high in vitamin K can improve bone health and reduce the risk of bone-related injuries and diseases like osteoporosis. 

8. Serotonin Puts Sleep Problems to Bed

Another kiwi nutrition benefit is its serotonin content. Serotonin may be why the fruit has a long-running reputation for its sleep-aiding abilities. The serotonin in kiwifruit has been shown to increase sleep time and sleep efficiency by 13 percent and 5 percent, respectively, so if you can’t sleep, kiwi may help.  There is also evidence to suggest serotonin may also helps boost memory and mood and can even help with depression.

9. Anticancer Effects

The trees in the actinidia family (kiwi trees) have been used as medicinal plants in China for many years, treating ailments like joint pain, bladder stones, and cancers of the liver and esophagus. Both the fruit and roots of kiwi have proven inhibitory effects on human liver, lung and colon cancer cell growth.  Thanks to polysaccharide content and the abundance of antioxidants found in kiwi nutrition, studies in mice have shown antitumor and reduction of cancer cells.

These reasons are why kiwi are among some of the best cancer-fighting foods available in nature.

10. Antifungal and Antibacterial Capabilities

Both green and golden kiwifruit have shown antifungal and antibacterial capabilities in several studies. The most antibiotic activity has been found in the seeds, which are commonly consumed with the fruit because of their small size.

The golden kiwi fruit contains a protein called actinchinin, which is suggested as the origin of its antifungal capabilities. Extracts from the kiwifruit have shown antibacterial activity against a number of bacterial strains. These capabilities may also be connected to the large number of antioxidants in the fruit. 

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