It’s great when a food is not only healthy but also delicious. Such is the case with kiwifruit. This tasty fruit has become a well-known staple in North American grocery stores — which is a lucky thing for you! Kiwis are full of super-charged nutrients. They’re high in vitamins C and E, flavonoids, and carotenoids, as well as other beneficial compounds.
What can all of these amazing nutrients do for you? They could fight off free radical damage to healthy cells and keep them alive. Researchers have backed this claim up with hard evidence. One recent clinical trial performed in New Zealand measured the antioxidant capacity of kiwifruit by assessing its ability to protect cells from dying after exposure to hydrogen peroxide. According to the researchers, kiwifruit came through the test with flying colors, clearly showing that it has natural protective properties that can benefit your health.
Another study sought to determine the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, vitamin C content, and antioxidant activities of extracts from different kiwifruit varieties. Three varieties of kiwi were tested: “Actinidia kolomikta,” “Actinidia arguta,” and “Actinidia chinensis.” According to the researchers, the “Actinidia kolomikta” extract had a higher antioxidant activity than the other two “Actinidia” extracts. There was, however, a positive correlation between antioxidant activity and the polyphenols and vitamin-C content in all three extracts. The “Actinidia arguta” extract had the highest inhibitory effect on healthy cell growth.
Make sure you add some kiwis to your diet. Slice one up and add it to plain yogurt first thing in the morning. In the afternoon, throw one in the blender; add some vanilla soy milk and a handful of strawberries and you’ll get a dose of antioxidants and some protein, too.
To find out about another fruit that’s great at scavenging free radicals, read the article The Free-radical Scavenging Berry.