Nutritional Tip of the Day: Kiwis

"Kiwifruit is a rich source of vitamin C, 1.5 times the DRI scale in the US. Its potassium content by weight is slightly less than that of a banana. It also contains vitamins A and E. The skin is a good source of flavanoid antioxidants. The kiwifruit seed oil contains on average 62% alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. Usually a medium size kiwifruit contains about 46 kilocalories, 0.3-gram fats, 1 gm proteins, 11 gm carbohydrates, 75 mg vitamins and 2.6 grams dietary fiber."

Kiwis, a superfood, are delicious and filled with nutrients. The skin of the kiwi fruit helps clean your lungs and improve your breathing, while the fruit inside contains 95% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C. Having some breathing problems myself, namely bronchitis and walking pneumonia, which I get time and time again, I notice a drastic difference after eating just one kiwi fruit. I feel cleared up, rejuvenated, and healthy. Some people are allergic to latex-fruits, which include the kiwi fruit, avocados, and bananas. Strangely, I have an allergic reaction to bananas, but not kiwi fruit or avocados. If you know that you can tolerate kiwis, don't take it for granted and eat up!

"Enjoying just a couple of kiwifruit each day may significantly lower your risk for blood clots and reduce the amount of fats (triglycerides) in your blood, therefore helping to protect cardiovascular health. Unlike aspirin, which also helps to reduce blood clotting but has side effects such as inflammation and bleeding in the intestinal tract, the effects of regular kiwi consumption are all beneficial. Kiwifruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, and polyphenols, and a good source of vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and copper, all of which may function individually or in concert to protect the blood vessels and heart. In one study, human volunteers who ate 2 to 3 kiwifruit per day for 28 days reduced their platelet aggregation response (potential for blood clot formation) by 18% compared to controls eating no kiwi. In addition, kiwi eaters' triglycerides (blood fats) dropped by 15% compared to controls." -World's Healthiest Foods

One Medium Kiwi Fruit

Calories: 46

fiber: 2.3g

calcium: 25.8mg

potassium: 237.1mg

Average cost of medium kiwi: $0.70

I recommend eating one kiwi fruit per day at most, or one kiwi fruit per week at least.