Kiwifruit: the fuzzy superfruit

http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/food_health/article50335.ece
Kiwi fruit: The fuzzy superfruit

By MARIAM ALIREZA, MARIAM.ALIREZA@GMAIL.COM
Published: May 5, 2010 21:04 Updated: May 5, 2010 21:59
Being cool, juicy and flavorful, kiwi fruit is a pleasure to eat as a snack with skin or without plus it is a healthy ingredient for juices, smoothies, tarts, and cheesecakes. A glass of mixed green apple and kiwi juice before breakfast cleanses the body; gives energy and enriches the blood with protective phytochemicals and vitamin C. Kiwi, gold or green, adds color and nutrients to cut fruits. One whole kiwi fruit makes a delicious healthy helping for breakfast or snack and contains very few calories. Don’t miss this fuzzy superfruit.
We have been probing into the 20 superfruits (mango, fig, orange, strawberry, goji (wolfberry), red grape, cranberry, kiwi fruit, papaya, blueberry, sour and sweet cherries, red raspberry, seaberry, guava, blackberry, black currant, date, pomegranate, acai (assai), prune) in the same hierarchy as Paul Gross put them in his book, Superfruits. Even though they are in the above order, some of them tie up with their predecessors. In spite of some being at the very bottom of the list, it does not mean they are less effective. They just happen to be less known or scientifically and clinically researched. We may not know now, but after getting the proper attention and research, they may climb up the ladder. In my view, superfruits like guava, date, and pomegranate will take higher positions when they get studied more profoundly. And don’t be surprised when the list grows longer. Let us explore, today, the kiwi fruit, the exotic superfruit.
The kiwi fruit (do not confuse it with the kiwi bird), Actinidia deliciosa, originated in China and spread to New Zealand. It only surfaced in the recent years. Though China is the fruit’s country of origin, New Zealand is kiwi’s main exporting country worldwide.
Kiwi fruit has an oval shape, a little larger than an egg. Its thin brownish skin, which is covered with fine fuzz, protects the fruit and its freshness. The original kiwi has green pulp, but a different cultivar has produced golden pulp that is richer in carotenoids with a sweeter taste. Horticulturists in New Zealand have recently succeeded in producing a kiwi with crimson pulp more abundant in anthocyanins.
The kiwi fruit has earned its superfruit status due to its high nutritional value like its predecessors. Its remarkable high content of vitamin C surpasses many fruits even the orange. Its greenish pigment comes from chlorophyll. Its tiny black seeds in the center of the pulp offer generous amounts of essential fatty acids (omega-3-and-6) as well as vitamin E. Potassium and other minerals are found in the fruit in healthful quantities along with dietary soluble and insoluble fiber in the pulp and furry skin. Hence, it is worth eating and juicing the fruit with its skin. The golden color kiwi pulp and seeds are high in carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and polyphenols), which are synthesized to vitamin A in the body.
Recently, a concentrated protein, called kiwellin, in the fruit has been isolated. In studies, kiwellin seems to show effectiveness on the immune mechanism. A byproduct of kiwellin, by the name of kissper, is found to be useful in improving the delivery of medication in the body.
Published laboratory tests, employing gold kiwi puree on mice, showed immense immune response results. Ovalbumin, an immune activator, has effectively boosted immune reactive chemicals in the blood as well as increased antibody cells in lymph fluids. This finding indicates that there is a direct connection between the fruit and antibody stimulation, leading to improved immune responses.
Scientific research has become more interested in kiwi because of its rich phytocompound content, which has the potential of being effective on inflammation, diabetes, infections, immune disorders and cancer. However, what sets the fruit back in the superfruit list is the scarcity of animal testing and lack of clinical studies.
N.B. Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.