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Perhaps the healthiest thing you will eat all week, possibly all year!

Nutritional Value of the Hardy Kiwi
      According to several recent nutritional studies, kiwis can be described as being the world's most "nutrient dense" fruit, bit-for-bit having more vitamins, minerals, and nutritional benefits" than any other commonly grown fruit in the world (1).  While both the hardy kiwi and papaya are described as being especially "nutrient-dense fruits," and often described as "healthy fruits" or "superfoods", a comparison among four of the better known "healthy fruits" or healthy foods" illustrated the kiwi's unusally high nutritional value, as indicated in the comparison chart below:
     Based on a 1 cup serving, some of the major nutritional values of kiwiberries, papayas, blueberries, and unsweeted acai berries are shown as follows (PDV = Percent Daily Values as based on a 2,000 calorie diet)(2): 
                          Kiwiberries        Papayas        Blueberries        Acai  
Vitamin C               273%             144%               24%             0%  
Vitamin K                89%                 5%               36%             0%
Vitamin E                13%                 5%                 4%             0%
Vitamin A                  3%               31%                 1%           32%
Vitamin B6                6%                 1%                 5%             0%
Potassium                16%               10%                 3%             0% 
Magnesium                8%                3%                  2%             0%
Copper                   12%                1%                  4%             0% 

Among the other health and nutritional benefits of kiwis is that they contain high amounts of antioxidants (e.g., Lutein and B-carotene) which are shown to help protect against cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other degenerative disorders(3).  Recent studies using the larger "ZESPRI" variety of kiwis have also shown that regular consumption of kiwis can signficantly reduce the severity and duration of different upper respiratory viral infections (e.g., colds and flu) (4). Other studies have also indicated that the smaller variety of kiwis generally known as hardy kiwis have ever higher concentrations of the various cited nutrients than do the larger, more widely available variety (i.e., "fuzzy kiwi, found in most grocery stores) (5). 
Note: Since the various nutrients found in kiwis tend to have their highest concentration in the skin, the health benefits of the hardy kiwis are even more pronounced by the fact that its skin is soft and the berry is eaten whole like a grape, while the skin of the "fuzzy kiwi" is typically peeled and discarded prior to being eaten.  

1.  "Kiwi: The World's Most Nutrient Dense Fruit." The producemoms.com
2.   Nutritional Values as shown on website:nutritiondata.self.com
3. The Nutritional and Health Benefits of Kiwberry (Actinidia arguta) - a Review, Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 2017; 72(4):325-334.

4. "Wellness Foods Based on the Health Benefits of Fruit: Gold Kiwifruit for Immune Support and Reducing Symptoms of Colds and Influenza," Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, Vol. 20, 2012
5. "Phenolics, ascorbate and the antioxidant potential of kiwiberry vs.  common kiwifruit: The effect of cultivar and tissue type" Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 19, Part A, 2015 

  
 

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