I’ve recently fallen back in love with the Kiwi fruit, and I do believe that it’s a fruit that can truly help keep the doc away, because of some surprising health benefits.
The Kiwi fruit is native to China, but is now mostly grown in New Zealand. It is part of the Gooseberry Family, which makes sense because it has that kind of gooseberry tartness -but not in a bad way. To me, it tastes like a cross-between a blackberry, a banana, and a pineapple.
The most obvious health benefit of Kiwi is that it’s loaded with Vitamin C, so makes a brilliant smoothie addition. This is why kiwi has been found benefit immune function. Also the Vitamin C in Kiwi fruits helps to build collagen in the skin.
I also love to add it to my green smoothies because it waters down the intensity of leafy greens, and at the same time adds a refreshing sweetness.
But, here are 3 surprising health benefits of the Kiwi Fruit:
Insomnia: According to Dr. Greger of Nutrition Facts, the Kiwi fruit can significantly help you to not only fall asleep, but stay asleep. He recommends eat two fruits and hour before you go to bed. This makes for a an easy after-dinner dessert or snack, right? You could peel, chop and then mix them with a little coconut or almond yogurt, and a tsp of chia or flax seeds.
IBS Relief: Kiwi Fruit can go a long way to relieving constipation, and has been found to be very effective in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome. If you suffer from IBS, try eating 2 kiwis a day.
Heart Health: Because of their high potassium content, Kiwi fruits may help lower blood pressure. Also keep in mind that a high potassium intake is associated with lessening the risk of strokes.
Kiwi fruits are not on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, so you don’t have to buy them organic, however, if you want to ensure that your Kiwi fruits are non-GMO, then you will need to make sure that they are certified organic.
