Super health benefits of Kiwi

MUMBAI: The impressive health benefits of kiwi combined with all the ways it can be added to recipes make kiwi a no-brainer, nutrient-dense super food and one of the healthiest foods you can eat every day. Here are some benefits of eating kiwis.

Kiwis are packed with immune-boosting vitamins C and E

“This super food has a pop of sweet, refreshing, and slightly tangy flavor, and is an excellent source of vitamin C,” Bader says. In fact, in one cup of kiwi you’ll get over 200 percent of your daily vitamin C needs. Kiwi is also loaded with vitamin E. Both vitamins C and E are crucial in maintaining a healthy immune system, as they’re powerful antioxidants that help to fight illness-causing free radicals throughout the body.  One review published in Nutrition and Cancer even found kiwi to have anticancer properties, especially in relation to colorectal cancer.

Kiwis are filled with fiber for healthy digestion

Kiwifruit can also keep your gut health in ship-shape as it’s loaded with fiber and enzymes that aid in digestion. Kiwi contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, providing the cholesterol-lowering and regularity-encouraging power of each fiber type.  It is also a prebiotic food. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that act as food for the healthy bacteria in our gut microbiome, helping them to thrive. Plus, kiwifruit is high in actinidin, an enzyme that helps the body digest various types of proteins, including those found in meat, gluten, nuts, and legumes.

Kiwis provide powerful plant compounds

Kiwi is also chock-full of bioactive compounds, which really set plant-based foods apart when it comes to nutrition because they’re so rich in antioxidants. “Kiwi is rich in antioxidants that help to reduce inflammation in the body,” Bader says. It is especially high in the plant compound group carotenoids, particularly lutein and zeaxanthin.  These compounds have been found to boost eye, brain, heart, liver, and skin health while helping to prevent age-related diseases.

Kiwis have vitamin K to support normal blood clotting

Rich in vitamin K, kiwi can help to maintain healthy blood clotting throughout the body.  While too much clotting throughout the body can be dangerous, regularly functioning clotting is vital for the body to recover from injury. Plus, vitamin K also helps us to maintain and develop healthy bones.

Kiwis are high in minerals potassium and copper

You can find healthy doses of both potassium and copper in kiwifruit. Potassium is an important electrolyte in the body that helps us to maintain healthy fluid balance. This fluid balance means that our cells will have normal fluid levels and our blood pressure will be regulated. While also helping to maintain healthy bones and nerves, copper works together with iron to form red blood cells in the body.

Kiwis help support heart health

The combination of the positive effect of kiwi’s soluble fiber on cholesterol levels, combined with the fluid-balancing power of potassium makes this tangy tropical fruit an excellent heart-healthy food. Plus, though small, one study found that by eating three kiwis a day, participants exhibited lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure when compared to eating one apple a day. It might be time to change that age-old expression about an apple a day to a kiwi a day!

Kiwis contain serotonin and may promote better sleep.

Kiwi may also help you have more restful sleep. This zingy fruit is high in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s the precursor to melatonin, the main hormone charged with maintaining healthy sleep patterns. Though completed a little over a decade ago, one small study examined kiwi’s impact on sleep in 24 adults over four weeks. Researchers found that eating two kiwis one hour before bedtime was associated with “significantly” improved overall sleep time, sleep efficiency, and ability to fall asleep more quickly (sleep onset). (Agencies)

 Also read: Kiwi fruit may help improve mental health: Study (sentinelassam.com)

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