Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with lowering risk for certain cancers, heart disease, lowering blood pressure having a positive influence of blood sugar. As Harvard Health (1) points out, no single fruit or vegetable provides all the nutrients your body needs.
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables provides a wide array of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
Kiwis can definitely fit into a healthy diet that is conducive for weight loss.
Like other fruits, kiwis are low in calories but are also a source of fiber.
They can be a nutrient dense snack or part of a meal. Kiwis are also a source of many beneficial nutrients.
In fact, a review from the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (2) suggests eating kiwi everyday could be a daily prescription for health.
Either the gold or green kiwis offer many health benefits.
Is eating Kiwi good for weight loss? Kiwis can be helpful for weight loss, as they are very low in calories. One kiwi provides about 40 calories with 2 grams of fiber and over 100% DV vitamin C.
High in antioxidants
Like other fruits, kiwi is a source of the antioxidant vitamin C.
Getting antioxidants from foods we eat can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals which could lower risk for chronic diseases.
Eating two kiwis provides over 200% DV for vitamin C. Kiwi are also a source for the antioxidant vitamin E.
It is rare for a fat free food, like kiwi, to be a source of vitamin E, so it is unique kiwi provides this nutrient.
Kiwi also provides the antioxidant lutein. According to the American Optometric Association (3), eating foods high in lutein may help prevent or delay the progression of age related eye diseases.
Kiwis are high in fiber
Kiwi are a great source of fiber. Two kiwi provides about 8 grams of fiber and for only around 80 calories.
Eating foods high in fiber can be helpful for weight loss because they help keep you feeling satisfied after eating.
Most Americans have a hard time reaching daily recommended intake of fiber.
People following low calorie diets can also struggle to get enough fiber in their diet simply because they can be cutting back over all food intake.
Eating kiwi can help you reach your recommended intake without eating many calories.
Blood pressure health
According to California Kiwifruit (4), a serving of kiwi provides more potassium that a banana.
Eating a diet high in potassium rich foods is recommended for lowering blood pressure.
Besides being rich in potassium, kiwi has another compound that can benefit blood pressure according to a 2015 study (5).
This study concluded research participants who ate 3 kiwi a day had lower blood pressure compared to the group that ate an apple a day.
Kiwi have unique bioactive compounds that can help lower blood pressure and improve endothelial function.
Low glycemic index
People can shy away from fruit when they are trying to lose weight because fruit is a source of sugar.
We are constantly hearing the negative effects of sugar and how getting too much sugar may negatively impact weight.
However, even though fruit naturally has sugar, it also has fiber which can help support healthy blood sugar levels.
Kiwi are also considered a low glycemic food (6). This means the impact kiwi has on blood sugar levels is minimal.
Therefore, eating them as part of a balanced diet may be safe for diabetics or weight loss in general.
If you are on medication for blood sugar regulation, speak with your healthcare team to see if adding kiwi to your eating plan is recommended.
Digestive aid
Green kiwi in particular may aid in digestion (7).
Kiwi has been used as a digestive aid for many years, and it is thought the proteolytic enzyme actinidin found in kiwi may be the reason why.
A 2010 in vitro study (8) found actindin from green kiwis helped stimulate digestion for various proteins.
While eating kiwi may not cure digestive ailments, eating it as part of a healthy diet could offer digestive support.
Iron absorption
Any vitamin C source can help increase absorption of iron from plant foods.
Since kiwi is so high in vitamin C, eating it with plant foods that have iron can help increase absorption.
Some studies have shown eating gold kiwi with meals helped improve iron status (9).
Ways to enjoy kiwi
Kiwi has a very distinct, sweet and acidic flavor.
You can peel it and eat it as a snack or even pair it with a source of protein and healthy fat, like a handful of nuts, to increase satiety.
Try eating a variety of green and gold kiwi to get health benefits from both types.
Adding them into a fruit salad can provide a beautiful color contrast to other bright berries, grapes, melon, etc.
Kiwi can be incorporated into smoothies or as a topping for yogurt.
You can incorporate kiwis into savory dishes by mixing them in with a citrus salsa or sauce or as part of a salad.
Be careful not to cook kiwi, as this can lower the value of many nutrients.
Conclusion: Is kiwi good for weight loss?
The answer is a resounding yes. Kiwis are a very low calorie, nutrient dense food that can be part of a healthy diet for weight loss and maintenance.
Kiwi has specific compounds that could be advantageous for blood pressure and aiding digestion.
Kiwis are considered safe to eat for healthy people.
If you have problems with your kidneys, speak with your health care team before adding kiwi to your diet because they are higher in potassium.
If you notice itching in your throat, hives or other symptoms when you eat kiwis, you may have a kiwi allergy.
If that’s the case, you should not continue eating them.
