Kiwi the Super Fruit
Kiwi fruit is a real powerhouse.
While many fruits feature one or two nutrients in their profile, kiwi offers an unusual array of health-promoting substances.
Kiwi Fruit Fast Facts
- Extremely rich in vitamin C
- Contains folate, potassium, fiber, carotenoids, polyphenols, chlorophyll, glutathione and pectin
- Is an unusual source of Vitamin E because most sources of this important vitamin, like nuts and oils, are high in both fat and calories. Kiwi by contrast offers its rich nutritional bounty for only about 93 calories for 2 kiwis.
In fact, on a calorie-per-nutrient basis, kiwis have only 3.8 calories per nutrient. Of 27 fruits tested, only cantaloupes (2.6), papaya (2.8), strawberry (2.5), and lemon (2.5) had fewer calories per nutrient.
Kiwis are also antioxidant all stars. Offering a rich bounty of Vitamin C – more than an equivalent amount of orange – kiwi can be relied upon to help neutralize the free radicals that damage cells, ultimately leading to inflammation and cancer. Vitamin C plays an important role in so many bodily functions, including the immune system, and is associated with preventing so many ailments — from asthma and atherosclerosis to osteoarthritis and colon cancer. It’s no wonder that high consumption of foods containing the vitamin is associated with reduced risk of death from all causes including cancer, heart disease and stroke.
And with all that nutrient power coming from one tiny kiwi fruit, it’s easy to get the good stuff you need in one tasty shot.
