We like the kiwi, or original Chinese gooseberry, and we know that the kiwi is healthy. We don’t really vary the kiwi much, because most people only eat it as a piece of fruit every now and then, and that’s a shame. Knowing that the kiwi is healthy, it should be included much more in the healthy diet. So the question still applies, do we know how healthy the kiwi actually is?
Origin
The kiwi, or Chinese gooseberry (Actinidia Chinensis), originally comes from China and has been eaten there for centuries. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the seeds of this Chinese gooseberry were brought to New Zealand. This resulted in the first varieties that the growers continued with. The name Kiwi was only given to him much later, when it became apparent that it was becoming an important export product for New Zealand and that Chinese gooseberry would not really work well from a marketing perspective.
Although during the warm months it is still about 75% New Zealand product, America, but also Chile and the European countries France and Italy are busy growing kiwis. This means that we can eat fresh kiwis all year round without any problem.
The healthy kiwi!
The kiwi is extremely healthy, because with one kiwi you already have 1.5 times the daily requirement for vitamin C. The kiwi also contains a lot of potassium and pectin. But also vitamins A and E, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium and folic acid.
The kiwi contains no fat and a limited amount of good carbohydrates (sugars) and proteins. In fact, there is no type of fruit that contains so many good nutrients, which makes one kiwi daily a perfect part of a healthy diet.
The kiwi contains only 57 kilocalories per 100 grams, so the kiwi can be perfectly incorporated into any diet.
What do all these substances do for your body?
A summary gives a good idea of why one kiwi regularly is good for you. The most important aspects at a glance:
- Pectin is a cholesterol-lowering substance
- Chlophylin helps prevent liver cancer.
- Carotenoids help preventively when it comes to chronic diseases, but also various forms of cancer and heart disease.
- Serotonin calms brain activity and is therefore also good against stress.
- Folic acid is important in the construction of DNA structure.
- Amino acids are good for the heart.
- Magnesium is good for the bone system and metabolism.
It has also been shown that kiwi can have a mild laxative effect, especially in old age.
The yellow or green kiwi?
The yellow kiwi has only been around since 2000 (at least in Europe), but has quickly become popular. It is a product that emerged from the continued improvement of the kiwi (by the growers).
More and more people prefer the yellow one to the green one. Both are just as healthy, so you shouldn’t leave it that way.
How to apply?
What many people do not do is eat the peel, but if you brush it well it is an extremely healthy product to eat. The peel contains a lot of fiber and with good brushing you can remove the hairs and the peel is easy to eat. Cut the kiwi into slices with the skin still on or eat it straight out of hand. Great to eat and extremely healthy!
Furthermore, we usually only eat the kiwi as a piece of fruit. We spoon out the halved kiwi or cut the peeled kiwi into slices. But the kiwi can also be perfectly combined with other types of fruit. Also delicious as a dessert in a fruit cocktail. A bit of sweet and a bit of sour combined gives a delicious bite. Do not mix the kiwi with yogurt (or other milk product), because for many people the breakdown of the proteins can result in a bitter taste.
Also use the kiwi in a marinade and it will make the meat a lot more tender or use the kiwi in a fresh salad with some pineapple, chicken and various nuts.
Finally
The kiwi is extremely healthy and you now know how and that the kiwi can be used in more ways than just as the well-known piece of fruit. As was previously stated, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, this actually also applies to the kiwi. We just need to come up with a nice slogan for that.
