KIWI FACTS: THINK YOU KNOW YOUR KIWI?

January 26, 2017

Kiwi is super healthy for you.

We all know kiwi as a delicious and nutritious fruit, but just exactly how healthy is the little fuzzball? To start off, it has higher vitamin-C content than an orange. It’s packed with powerful antioxidants–quercetin, lutein, and actinidin. And it also offers a high amount of minerals including potassium, copper, folate, and various vitamins.

It is great for the heart.

It’s true. Many studies have shown that kiwi may help ward off one of the most common causes of premature death: heart disease. Consuming two to three kiwis a day may be able to help lower blood pressure[i], reduce the risk of blood clots with its blood-thinning properties[ii], raise good cholesterol levels[iii], and lower blood triglycerides levels[iv].

Interesting facts about kiwi.

Now you know the trivial health benefits about this furry fruit. Here are some real important facts you should know.

Kiwi actually originated from north-central and eastern China. It’s also the national fruit of China.
The fuzzy fruit contains enzyme that assists with protein absorption by breaking down nutrients, which means it’s the perfect snack to follow your post-workout protein shake.
It was originally called the Chinese gooseberry until the fuzzy fruits made its way to New Zealand in the early 20^th century and was renamed the ‘kiwifruit’ to give it more market appeal during post-war.
Green-fleshed kiwi has fuzzy skin. Golden kiwi has a smooth and bronze skin. Kiwi berries are smooth and green on the outside and throughout.
Kiwi causes mouth irritation for some people. This is caused by needle-like calcium oxalate crystals.
The kiwifruit was named after the bird called kiwi by the Maori.

Are you surprised by any of these facts? Tell us everything you know about kiwis!

[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25483553

[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22258209

[iii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19919518

[iv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15370099

GET YOUR KIWIS DELIVERED!

Daniel Huang

Daniel is a Digital Marketing and Content Strategist at SPUD. He graduated from UBC with a degree in English and International Relations with a focus on environmental topics. A wordsmith by day and a bookman by night, he's a self-proclaimed gastronomic snob, a buck-a-shuck addict, a sub-par skier, and a devoted kingsguard of the oxford comma. He also frequents the dog park with a schnauzer named Duke. | Instagram: @dannnyellow