Kiwis are perhaps the first fruit to be named for a bird – twice. Introduced to New Zealand from China around 1906, the fruit was first known as a Chinese gooseberry (the first bird) probably because, like a green gooseberry, it has pale flesh. As kiwis became more popular, and international demand spread, New Zealanders proudly renamed the fruit after their national bird – the kiwi (the second bird).
The nouvelle cuisine movement of the 1970’s did a great deal to popularize kiwis in the US and today, California provides 95 percent of the US crop. Now kiwis, or kiwifruit, are popular the world over and deservedly so as their pale green and delicious flesh, reminiscent of strawberries to some and pineapple to others, offers a potent mix of nutrients that elevate it to the status of a SuperFood.
Kiwi fruit promote heart health by lowering triglyceride levels and reducing platelet hyperactivity which in turn seems to play a role in the development and stability of atherosclerotic vascular plaques.
Kiwi can promote heart health by limiting the tendency of blood to form clots. The vitamin C and E in kiwi combined with the polyphenols and magnesium, potassium, B vitamins and copper all act to protect the cardiovascular system. In one study in Oslo, Norway people who ate 2 or 3 kiwi a day for 28 days reduced their platelet aggregation response – or potential for clot formation – by 18% compared to those eating no kiwi. Moreover, those kiwi eaters also enjoyed a triglyceride drop of 15% compared to the controls.
Four medium kiwi fruit supply about 1.4 mg of lutein/zeaxanthin. As a result, this fruit is a non-leafy green source of these two important nutrients which have been associated with a decreased risk for cataracts, macular degeneration, and the development of atherosclerotic plaques.
Kiwi is reported to have a laxative effect which can be beneficial to all but especially older people who are troubled by constipation. One study of 38 people over the age of sixty found that regular consumption of kiwi led to bulkier, softer stool and more frequent stool production.
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