Where did kiwi come from, why is it called that, what vitamins it contains, calorie content, benefits and harms. Find out everything about this wonderful fruit here! The content of the article:
- Vitamins and minerals
- Useful properties of kiwi
- Contraindications
Kiwi is the fruit of the tree-like Actinidia vine native to China. In another way, it is called the Chinese gooseberry. The flesh of the fruit is usually green or yellow. The modern name "kiwi" appeared thanks to the New Zealand breeder A. Ellison, who named this fruit because of the external resemblance to the bird of the same name. The kiwi bird is New Zealand's national pride and is featured on its emblem.
Plantations of this fruit are common in many countries, in particular in New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Japan, Greece and the USA. Its year-round presence in the market is due to shipments from New Zealand in the fall and winter, and in the spring and summer from California (USA).
Kiwi composition: vitamins and minerals
Kiwi is the champion among all fruits in terms of vitamin C content - 92.7 mg / 100 g, which is twice the vitamin C content in orange, grapefruit or bell pepper. This is the reason for a certain acidity of the pulp, thanks to which vitamin C and other vitamins are preserved.
The green fruit is also rich in fiber, pectin, magnesium, potassium, copper, aluminum, vitamins: B12 (read which foods contain vitamin B12), B6, B2, B1, PP and A.
Calorie kiwi
per 100 g of product is 47 kcal:
- Proteins - 0.8 g
- Fat - 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates - 8, 1 g
Useful properties of kiwi
By consuming the fruit, you can prevent blood clots from forming inside your blood vessels. This will ensure the smooth functioning of the cardiovascular system. The plant enzyme actinidin can favorably affect the digestion process and the absorption of protein.
Do you want to increase your working capacity? Eat kiwi! In addition, green fruits, due to the content of vitamin C in them, increase immunity, normalize the processes of cellular metabolism and help to cope with colds and flu.
Thanks to vitamin K1, the risk of diabetes is reduced. It is also important that it is K1 that helps to absorb calcium, strengthening connective and bone tissues, ensuring normal kidney function. Green fruit is a source of strength and youth, because vitamins A and E contained in it are the key to health and longevity for a person. Kiwi also contains folic acid, which stimulates the renewal of blood cells. The enzymes contained in kiwi help to reduce the high level of blood clotting and break down proteins, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.
He also found application not only in nutrition, its beneficial properties are intensively used in cosmetology. Do not throw out the peeled kiwi peel, it is better to make a face mask out of it, or simply wipe the inside of your face, décolleté and neck. Fruit juice tightens, tones and rejuvenates the skin. For normal skin, you can mix kiwi fruit with low-fat yogurt, for aging skin, mix it with honey, and for dry skin, mix it with cottage cheese. Apply the resulting mixture briefly on the face, then rinse. Several such procedures and the result will not be long in coming!
Video about the benefits of kiwi
Kiwi harm and contraindications
Despite the large list of useful properties, kiwi can also harm our body.
Firstly, eating a lot of this fruit can cause allergic reactions. Therefore, you need to use it carefully. The consequences can be from swelling of the tongue to shortness of breath and anaphylactic shock.
Secondly, the fetus can be harmful when consumed by people with high acidity of gastric juice. As a result, an exacerbation of gastritis begins.
Thirdly, in case of kidney disease, this product should not be consumed in large quantities either - due to its high water content (83.8 g per 100 g of product).
Now that you have figured out what is the benefit and what is the harm of kiwi, you can include it in your diet, and also use it in cosmetology, of course, taking into account its contraindications.
Recipe video: mousse from marshmallow with kiwi:
