What will happen if you eat one kiwi fruit every day? Will your skin become better? Will your bowel movements become smoother?

Kiwi is the perfect fruit in many people's minds. It is sweet and sour and easy to eat. Just cut it in half and scoop it out with a spoon. It is clean and hygienic!

Among fruits, kiwi fruit has a really good nutritional value. It is recommended that you eat more kiwi fruit. If you eat one kiwi fruit every day, it will bring many benefits to your body.

01

What is the relationship between kiwi fruit and kiwifruit?

Many people are confused when they see "kiwi" and "actinidia" on fruit store labels. They look similar, what's the difference? Are they the same fruit?

Kiwi fruit in the supermarket, copyrighted picture from the gallery, any reproduction or use may result in copyright disputes. In fact, kiwi fruit is actually kiwifruit, which is a "foreign name" given to kiwifruit after it went abroad and is a trade name.

my country is the origin center of kiwifruit in the world. At present, 66 species of kiwifruit have been found in the world, of which 62 are native to my country. The earliest kiwifruit discovered was green-hearted, and later yellow-hearted and red-hearted kiwifruits were also discovered.

Green-heart kiwifruit is very common in my country, the main varieties include Hayward, Qinmei, Cuixiang, Xuxiang and Guichang.

Green-heart kiwifruit is the most common in my country. This image is copyrighted by the stock library. Reproduction and use may lead to copyright disputes.

Common varieties of yellow-heart kiwifruit include Jintao, Jinyan, Huayou, Jinyuan, and Huangjinguo.

Among them, the "Golden Fruit" is a kiwi variety bred by New Zealand scientists using seeds collected from the Beijing Botanical Garden and the Guangxi Institute of Botany. The flesh is golden yellow, tender and juicy, and tastes sweet.

A golden fruit cut in half, copyrighted image from the gallery, any reprint or use may result in copyright disputes. The red-fleshed kiwifruits include Hongyang and Donghong. "Hongyang" is the world's first red-fleshed kiwifruit variety, selected and bred by the Sichuan Institute of Natural Resources and the Cangxi County Agriculture Bureau. It is an early-maturing Chinese variety, with yellow-green center flesh with a hint of red, juicy and sweet.

Red kiwi fruit, copyrighted image from the gallery, any reproduction or use may result in copyright disputes

No matter what color the kiwi fruit is, they are all rich in nutrients and you can choose whichever you like. However, relatively speaking, green-heart kiwis are the most common in my country and are the most affordable.

02

What is the most powerful nutritional value of kiwi fruit?

When it comes to fruits that supplement vitamin C, kiwi fruit must be the best! Its vitamin C content is as high as 62 mg/100 g, which is nearly twice that of oranges and 21 times that of apples.
The vitamin C content of different varieties of kiwifruit may vary slightly. Among the common varieties, the one with the highest vitamin C content is the Cuixiang green-heart kiwifruit.

Data source: Reference article [1]

The recommended intake of vitamin C for the general population in my country is 100 mg/day. From this point of view, eating 1 to 2 kiwis can basically meet the daily vitamin C needs of the general population.

How can anyone not love such an excellent fruit?

03

Eat kiwi fruit regularly

What are the benefits to the body?

Beauty and skin care: Kiwi fruit is rich in vitamin C, which is naturally beneficial to skin health. The main component of the skin is collagen, and vitamin C can participate in the synthesis of collagen, maintain skin elasticity, and reduce the formation of skin wrinkles.

In addition, vitamin C is also a very strong antioxidant that can help the body eliminate excess free radicals, prevent lipid peroxidation, and help protect the skin.

Protect gums: If the diet lacks vitamin C, collagen synthesis will be impaired, resulting in slow wound healing and increased fragility of capillary walls, which will lead to bleeding. Common symptoms are bleeding and loose gums. In severe cases, it can also lead to gum atrophy and even loose and falling teeth.

Eating one kiwi fruit every day and ensuring adequate intake of vitamin C can help us have a healthy oral cavity.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Prevent constipation: The dietary fiber content of kiwi fruit is relatively high among fruits, with an insoluble dietary fiber content of 2.6 g/100 g, which is 1.5 times that of apples and 2.2 times that of bananas. Insoluble dietary fiber can promote gastrointestinal mechanical movement, promote the excretion of feces, and prevent constipation.

If the kiwi fruit is almost hairless, you can wash it and eat the skin to intake more dietary fiber.

Bone health: In addition to being rich in vitamin C, kiwifruit is also rich in vitamin K. Both are very beneficial to bone health and can prevent osteoporosis.

Vitamin C deficiency can cause collagen synthesis disorders, which can lead to poor bone organic matter formation and osteoporosis. Vitamin K can promote calcium deposition in bones, which is beneficial to the absorption of calcium by bones, promote osteoblasts and inhibit osteoclasts, and has a significant effect on preventing fractures.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Finally, I would like to remind you that if the kiwi fruit you bought is hard, you can store it mixed with apples and bananas at room temperature to make the kiwi fruit softer and sweeter.

If the kiwi fruit you bought is already a little soft, it is recommended that you store it in the refrigerator at 4°C. This will slow down the further softening of the fruit, extend its shelf life, and better preserve vitamin C.

References:

[1] Zhong Manxi, Zhai Shujia, Liu Wei, Sui Guoxiang, Duan Yuquan, Lin Qiong, Tao Xinliang. Current status, problems and countermeasures of the development of my country's ready-to-eat kiwifruit industry[J]. Chinese Fruit Trees, 2023(02):122-127. DOI:10.16626/j.cnki.issn1000-8047.2023.02.025.

[2] Dong Huafang, Chen Yang, Xu Yanbo, Zhang Xudong, Liu Yongbi, Yang Jun. Effects of different storage methods on the quality of three kiwifruit varieties[J]. Northern Horticulture, 2022(08):82-88.

[3] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[4] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 1)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019.199

[5] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168153/nutrients

Author: Xue Qingxin, one of the first nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission, and a registered nutritionist in China

Reviewer: Zhang Na, Associate Researcher, Doctoral Supervisor, Peking University School of Public Health