The fuzzy kiwifruit is having a real moment. Sales are up, searches are up and all over social media, influencers are urging their followers to eat more of the bright-green berry.
Why so much hype? Westerners seem to have caught up to the Chinese, who’ve long eaten the fruit more for its therapeutic uses than as a treat. An academic paper from 1987 even wrote: “The Chinese have never been overly fond of the kiwifruit, regarding it mainly as a tonic for growing children and for women after childbirth.”
Kiwi is, in fact, native to China, where it’s called mihou tao, or “monkey peach.” It’s been consumed for at least nine centuries, but Allied soldiers first encountered the fruit during World War II while stationed in New Zealand. So Americans and Europeans might be forgiven for only recently realizing kiwi is more than just a sugary garnish for pavlovas.
These days, the cat is firmly out of the bag. This nutrient-dense fruit is associated with immune support, reduced blood pressure and, most famously, improved sleep patterns. Here’s what the research says.
The Nutrient Your Brain’s Been Begging For
Choline is essential for cognitive function, and it’s hiding in your egg cartonHow Kiwi Supports Your Health
Kiwi is rich in fiber and carotenoid antioxidants. The former slows down digestion, prevents blood sugar spikes and helps remove low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) from your body. The latter neutralize free radicals, those unstable molecules that wreak havoc on your cells and organs. The fruit is also remarkably high in vitamin C — it contains more of the nutrient than a clementine and 94% of your daily value — among other vitamins and minerals like potassium, vitamins A and E.
For Better Go’s
Thanks mostly to kiwi’s soluble fiber content, dietitians consider it an excellent tool for easing constipation. In one study, volunteers who consumed two kiwis daily for four weeks exhibited a “a clinically significant increase in Complete Spontaneous Bowel Movement, improvements in abdominal comfort, straining and stool form, and increases in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life, translating into meaningful improvements for study participants.”
For Better Zzs
The use case that’s really captured the imaginations of the TikTok faithful is eating kiwi for sleep. A study with a similar structure — two kiwis a day for four weeks — had elite athletes consume their fruit an hour before bed. They filled out a questionnaire before and after the intervention and kept a daily sleep diary throughout. Researchers reported “significant increases” in total sleep time and sleep efficiency percentage, along with reductions in awakenings and sports stress. The leading theory is that kiwi’s combination of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles, and serotonin, which makes melatonin, help kiwi-eaters fall and stay asleep.
An Ideal Dessert
Sounds perfect, right? Kiwis are definitely a superfruit, but keep in mind that they aren’t a silver bullet. Health experts caution that the kiwi sleep study was small — more of an “intriguing start” than a conclusive finding.
It’s possible that those elite athletes slept so well because they’d replaced a post-dinner dessert (cookies) or nighttime snack (chips) with something much healthier (which concurrently eased their abdominal discomfort). Not to mention that placebo is powerful.
The good news: Barring an allergy, there’s literally no detriment to adding kiwi to your diet. It’s an ideal dessert, as two medium-sized kiwis won’t even take you to 100 calories. Grab a spoon, scoop ’em like ice cream and don’t forget to eat the skin.
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