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Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an important nutrient that helps form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle, and collagen in bones. It also contains antioxidants that boost the immune system and keep illnesses and infections at bay.
Low levels of vitamin C can lead to fatigue, weakness, increased susceptibility to diseases, and slow wound healing. Therefore, to keep up with the intake, experts usually recommend eating citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. However, a new study has found that consuming two kiwis a day can do away with the need for vitamin C supplements.
Eating Two Kiwis Better Than Taking Vitamin C Supplements
The study published in the journal Foods involved 24 healthy participants aged between 25 and 60 who consumed two SunGold kiwifruit per day for six weeks. The volunteers had no history of diabetes or evidence of glucose intolerance.
Study findings suggested that the estimated vitamin C intake was much higher in people who consumed kiwifruit, with an average increase of 150 mg per day. This indicated that having one or two of the SunGold kiwifruit per day would eliminate the need for vitamin C supplements, as the recommended daily intake for males is at least 90 mg, the study noted.
What Is A SunGold Kiwi?
Two of the common kiwifruit varieties include the SunGold kiwi and the Green kiwi. Nutrition-wise, both are equally beneficial for health. In terms of appearance, green kiwi has a brown skin and an oval shape, whereas SunGold kiwi has a smooth, hairless outer skin with a golden-brown colour. Moreover, due to the high fructose content, the taste of golden kiwi is smoother and sweeter than green kiwifruit.
Nutritional Benefits
Kiwi is a great source of vitamin C, which alone provides several health benefits ranging from boosting immune defences to producing collagen and forming blood vessels, which help prevent easy bruising.
The recommended daily amount of vitamin C is 75 mg a day for women and 90 mg a day for men, which can easily be fulfilled by green and gold kiwifruit, which, according to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, contain 92.7 and 161.3 mg per 100 g of vitamin C, respectively.
In addition, kiwi contains a high level of dietary fibre, which not only helps improve digestive health but also lowers the risk of heart disease. Not to mention its beneficial plant compounds, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, which protect cells against free radicals and oxidative damage while also reducing the risk of inflammation.
