All About Kiwi: Nutrition Facts, Health Benefits, Risks, Recipes

There are plenty of juicy, delicious fruits to choose from when you want to satisfy your sweet tooth with a healthy snack. But like some people, you might get into a pattern of adding the same kinds of fruit — perhaps bananas, apples, or oranges — to your grocery cart each week.

If you’re getting bored with the same ol’ same ol’, it’s time to step outside your comfort zone. And if you haven’t already, kiwi is a fruit that’s worth discovering.

What Is Kiwi, and What Should I Know About Its History? 

Kiwi is a small fruit, usually smaller than your typical apple or orange. But don’t let its size fool you. Kiwis are packed with a lot of flavor and are an excellent source of nutrition.

Even if you’ve never eaten a kiwi, you can probably pinpoint one in a lineup, with its brown fuzzy skin, brilliant green color, and tiny black seeds.

Also called kiwifruit, Chinese gooseberry, or yang tao, kiwi originated in northern China, where it was mostly eaten for medicinal purposes. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that kiwi spread from China to New Zealand and began being cultivated there. (1)

Kiwi is a relatively new fruit crop. New Zealand didn’t start growing the crop commercially until the 1940s, and it wasn’t exported from that country to the United States until the 1950s. In 1959, a New Zealand produce business, finding that the name “Chinese gooseberry” was not attractive to U.S. importers, began calling it kiwifruit, after New Zealand’s national bird.

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for one kiwifruit, about 75 grams (g), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture: (2)

• 44 calories
• 148 milligrams (mg) of potassium, or 3 percent recommended daily value (DV)
• 2 g of dietary fiber, or 7 percent DV
• 0.8 g of protein, or 2 percent DV
• 26 mg of calcium, or 2 percent DV
• 56 mg of vitamin C, or 62 percent DV
• 7 g of sugar
• 1 mg of vitamin E, or 7 percent DV
• 30 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K, or 25 percent DV
• 12 mg of magnesium, or 3 percent DV
• 3 mcg RAE of vitamin A, or 0.3 percent DV
• 20 mcg of folate, or 5 percent DV

What exactly are the health benefits of kiwi? Here are eight reasons to make kiwi a regular part of your diet.

Improves Respiratory Health

Kiwi contains a good amount of vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and an immune booster. But vitamin C doesn’t only strengthen the immune system, it may also improve breathing and reduce symptoms of asthma.

One study found a link between eating four fresh golden kiwis per day and reduced respiratory tract infection symptoms. (4)

Helps With Digestion and Constipation

Because kiwi is a source of fiber, eating two per day may also help improve digestion and reduce constipation. It can also improve overall bowel function if you suffer from conditions like irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. (5)

Plays a Role in a Healthy Heart

As a source of potassium, kiwi is an excellent choice if you’re looking for natural ways to help lower high blood pressure (hypertension).

One study found that eating three kiwis a day helped lower individuals’ blood pressure, though you may see improvements with eating fewer — researchers attributed the reduction to a bioactive substance in the fruit. Reducing your blood pressure can decrease the likelihood of a stroke or heart attack. (6)

The dietary fiber in kiwi can also provide heart benefits by lowering your triglycerides. A study found that people who ate two to three kiwis per day had a 15 percent lower triglyceride level compared with those who didn’t eat kiwi. (7)

Promotes Bone Health

The vitamin K in kiwi also promotes healthier, stronger bones. A vitamin K deficiency leads to weaker bones and increases the risk of fractures and bone-related illnesses, such as osteoporosis. (8)

Contains Possible Anti-Cancer Properties

Any type of food that can reduce the risk of cancer needs to be included on your plate. Like many types of fruits, the antioxidants in kiwi help protect your body from free radicals that have been linked to cancer in observational research. The fiber in kiwis also promotes healthy bowel function, which can lower the risk of certain cancers. (9)

Supports Eye Health

Kiwi contains lutein, (2) which research has shown can protect the eyes and decrease the risk of age-related vision loss.

Helps You Get Better-Quality Sleep

Do you have difficulty sleeping? You don’t have to reach for over-the-counter sleep drugs. It may come as a surprise, but kiwifruit contains serotonin, a hormone that can have a sedative effect. Eating two kiwis one hour before bed may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. (10)

Promotes Healthy Weight Loss

Because kiwi is relatively low in calories (about 44 calories each) and contains some fiber, it’s also a great food if you’re looking to drop excess pounds. (2) You can eat a kiwi if you’re in the mood for something sweet but don’t want to load up on junk foods like cookies, ice cream, or cake.

Of course, kiwi isn’t the only fruit you can eat to receive nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and health benefits. But if you compare this fruit with others, you may notice that kiwi has a sweeter taste. This raises the question: Is kiwi less healthy than other types of fruit?

First and foremost, all fruits in their whole form, without added sugar, are healthy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate guidelines. But it doesn’t hurt to know how kiwi stacks up against other fruit in terms of calories and sugar, especially if you’re looking to lose weight, or are watching your blood sugar in the case of type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

If you compare one kiwi with one medium navel orange, the kiwi has 44 calories and 7 g of sugar, whereas the orange has 69 calories and 12 g of sugar. (2,11)

Similarly, one small red delicious apple has about 93 calories and 17 g of sugar. (12)

As you can see, although kiwis have a sweeter taste, they don’t always contain more sugar than other types of fruit.

Keep in mind that the sugar in kiwi is also natural, and according to the health scientists at the University of California in San Francisco, “when sugar occurs in nature, it normally comes packaged with fiber, which slows down our body’s absorption of the sugars and reduces its impact on the pancreas and liver — vital organs that can be affected by sugar overload.” (13)

Even though kiwi is a delicious, flavorful, and generally healthy fruit, it isn’t right for everyone. Kiwi is safe for most people, but some people may have a kiwi allergy.

One type of kiwi allergy called “pollen food syndrome” can cause tingling, swelling, or itching in the lips, mouth, or throat as soon as you eat raw kiwi. These symptoms are usually mild. (14)

A second type of kiwi allergy can cause mild to serious symptoms after contact with kiwi, including: (14)

• A rash anywhere on the body
• Tingling or itching in the mouth
• Swelling in the face, throat, or mouth
• Difficulty breathing
• Severe asthma
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Anaphylactic shock (this is rare)

Children are more likely to have the second type of kiwi allergy. (14)

If you’re giving your child the fruit for the first time, observe them closely to ensure they don’t develop symptoms that could indicate an allergic reaction. Symptoms can be mild or severe, and they may increase in severity the second time a child tries a food. Signs of a severe reaction, such as difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness, require immediate medical help. (14)

As with other allergies, people who have a severe allergy to kiwifruit may be prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector (such as Epipen) in case of emergency.

Kiwifruit may also slow blood clotting in some people. You should avoid kiwi or limit consumption if you have a bleeding disorder. Talk to your doctor to see how much you can safely consume. (7)

Also, talk to your doctor before surgery to see if you should stop eating kiwi to reduce the risk of bleeding.

Kiwi is a versatile fruit that can be eaten in different ways. For instance, you can eat the fruit raw by cutting it into slices, or bite into it the same way you would eat an apple.

Some people only eat the green slices and seeds, but the entire fruit is edible. In fact, eating the fuzzy skin of a kiwi can actually triple your fiber intake from the fruit. (15)

Of course, on its own isn’t the only way to enjoy a kiwi. You can also combine several kiwi with other fruit to create a delicious fruit salad. Or add a few slices of kiwi to a blender with other fruit, milk, or juice for a fiber-rich smoothie.