10 surprising facts about kiwifruit

When was the last time you enjoyed a kiwifruit? Chances are you don’t get enough fruit servings in your diet. Maybe you’re bored of bananas, apples and grapes and need a fresh produce pick? A nutrient-rich serving of kiwifruit may be just what you need and they’re delicious as part of a meal.

A serving of kiwifruit (1 serving = 2 kiwifruit) has twice the vitamin C of an orange bite for bite, and in the case of Zespri SunGold kiwifruit, it has three times the vitamin C bite for bite.

Check out the facts!

1. The kiwifruit is high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which are essential for promoting heart health, regulating digestion, and lowering cholesterol levels.

2. Kiwifruit’s fibre content (as high as many whole grain cereals!) contributes to its moderate to low glycemic index of 52 – meaning that it does not rapidly raise blood glucose levels. Great news for those suffering from diabetes.

3. Kiwifruit has also been considered a “nutritional all-star,” as Rutgers University researchers found that kiwifruit has the best nutrient density of 21 commonly consumed fruits.

4. Along with vitamin C, kiwifruit is rich in many bioactive compounds that have antioxidant capacity that help to protect against free radicals which are harmful by-products produced in the body.

5. If you want clean energy, think of kiwifruit because they’re rich in magnesium, a nutrient essential to convert food into energy.

6. Kiwifruit is also packed with blood pressure-lowering potassium. In fact, a 100g serving of kiwifruit (that’s about one large kiwi) provides 15% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of potassium.

7. Kiwifruit has been growing in New Zealand for over 100 years. Once the fruit became popular, other countries started to grow it including Italy, France, Chile, Japan, South Korea and Spain.

10. At first, kiwis were referred to as ‘Yang Tao’ or ‘Chinese Gooseberry,’ but the name was ultimately changed to kiwifruit so that everyone would know where the fruit came from.