Kiwi fruit: FAQ's
Date:
22 Feb 2023
You may have read our article Kiwi fruit benefits: skin, gut, and immunity and learnt something new about this powerful fruit. Now, we wanted to answer a few of the most frequently asked questions about kiwis!
What happens when you eat kiwi everyday?
As long as you don’t have an intolerance or allergy to kiwis, eating a kiwi every day can really benefit your overall health. As kiwifruit is high in antioxidants, eating kiwis daily can help to reduce your risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.1 As it turns out, a kiwi a day keeps the doctor away!
Can you eat the skin of kiwifruit?
Not only can you eat the skin of a kiwi, but you should! There are a lot of added nutrients in that funny-looking fuzzy coat. Eating the skin in addition to the green flesh, adds a whopping 50% to your fibre intake whilst bumping up your folate and vitamin E intake, too.2
Folate is a particularly important nutrient for people who are pregnant due to its role in cell growth and division. Getting a good dose of folate can help to prevent neural tube defects during pregnancy.3
Is kiwi a superfood?
Kiwifruit is a superfood for its incredible nutritious value. 14 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fibre, 0.44 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 83% of the daily value of Vitamin C, vitamins E and K, folate, copper, potassium and magnesium put kiwi at the top of the podium when it comes to nutritious foods!4
What has more vitamin c, oranges or kiwis?
Kiwis win the battle when it comes to vitamin C content. Two kiwis, which is a serving provides 137mg of vitamin C. This is almost double the amount in an orange!5 An orange does contain 92% of your vitamin C needs, so it’s still absolutely worth having if that’s your preference.
Does kiwifruit brighten skin?
Yes, kiwifruit can brighten the skin! Kiwis contain a lot of vitamin E, which is helpful in brightening dull skin. Kiwis are also rich in antioxidants, which helps to prevent the build-up of dead skin cells, whilst improving the production of new cells in the skin.6 All of this contributes to brightened, glowing skin!
Does kiwi make you poop?
Due to its high fibre content, kiwi can act as a laxative.7 This can help with constipation and regulating normal bowel movements, but it can go too far if you have too many kiwis! As long as you’re sensible with your portion sizes, kiwi is unlikely to give you an upset stomach.
Why does my tongue hurt when I eat kiwi?
If you get a tingling sensation when you eat kiwis, you’re probably allergic to them; this is known as oral allergy syndrome and it can affect the mouth, lips, tongue and throat. You may also develop a rash if the kiwi touches your skin.8
This reaction can range from severe to mild, and usually, if your first reaction is mild, it will continue to be so. Oral allergy syndrome is usually caused by raw fruit and veg, so cooking the trigger food can make it easier to consume.
Do kiwis help you sleep?
Much more research is needed in this area to determine why, but the answer is yes - kiwis can help you sleep! Studies have shown that participants who ate kiwi an hour before bed had improved quality sleep, slept for longer and fell asleep quicker.9
It is theorised that the antioxidant properties in kiwis help improve sleep, as well as their high serotonin content.9
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed getting the answers to these questions and learning more about kiwis.
At The Gut Co, we truly value the kiwi and its incredible benefits for the body, including the gut; that’s why we include Actazin, a natural kiwifruit power, in our signature formula, Gut Care. Click the link to learn more about the benefits of Actazin in Gut Care!
References
2: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eating-kiwi-skin#nutrition
3: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4478945/
4: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kiwi-benefits#Kiwi-nutrition
5: https://www.eatingwell.com/article/2052728/6-foods-with-more-vitamin-c-than-an-orange/
6: https://www.bebeautiful.in/all-things-skin/everyday/kiwi-fruit-benefits-for-skin#:~:text=Kiwi%20is%20rich%20in%20vitamin,cell%20generation%20in%20the%20skin
7: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6590324/#:~:text=Kiwifruit%20may%20offer%20an%20alternative,volume%2C%20frequency%20and%20improve%20consistency
8: https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/oral-allergy-syndrome-oas#:~:text=Rapid%20onset%20of%20itching%20or,spring%20and%20fall%20pollen%20seasons
9: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21669584/
