Kiwis, distinctive for their bright coloring and flavor, add the perfect dash of tartness to a fruit salad or fruit tart. These green, ovular fruits are, in my opinion, one of the most underrated fruits. They have a plethora of health benefits, are a beautiful shade of green, and share a name with people from New Zealand! I was always under the impression that the skin of a kiwi is inedible, but I've observed them being eaten both peeled and unpeeled. This leads one to ponder- can you eat kiwi skin?
Health Benefits of Kiwis
Kiwifruit, also known as the Chinese gooseberry, is actually a berry! These tart fruits grow on small trees or shrubs of the Actinidiaceae flowering plant family and are native to central and Eastern Asia. The kiwi fruit has brown, fuzzy skin with tart green flesh on the inside. A fun fact about kiwis is that they are named after New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi! The kiwi is small, brown and fuzzy, and New Zealanders couldn't help but notice the extreme similarity between their national bird and this sweet, tart fruit.
Back to the question of whether you can eat kiwi skin, you absolutely can! Along with being cute and fuzzy, the kiwifruit has innumerable health benefits, the skin even more so than the flesh. Kiwi skin is an excellent source of fiber, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut and maintains bowel health and digestive health.
High fiber intake causes a lower risk of heart disease, lowers cholesterol, and is great for weight loss. Kiwis are also a source of folate, which is an important nutrient for cell growth. Folate converts carbohydrates into energy and produces DNA and RNA, and it's especially essential during pregnancy, adolescence, and infancy.
A great healthy snack, kiwis can be added to fruit tarts or even made into ice cream. Now that we've established that you can eat kiwi skin, consuming it is a great way to soak up all the vitamins you may be missing in other parts of your diet. Kiwi skin is full of vitamin e, which keeps your cells healthy by protecting them from free radicals, atoms that damage cell growth. It also contains vitamin a, magnesium, and potassium, all important to your body's health and nutrition.
Why You Should Eat Kiwi Skin!
Kiwifruit is full of nutritional benefits and not only can you eat its skin, but this is also actually the most beneficial part of the fruit! The skin of the kiwi has lots of antioxidants, even more than in the flesh. One such antioxidant especially prevalent is vitamin C, which keeps your cardiovascular system healthy and protects the skin from sun damage.
Kiwi skin is also calcium-rich and thereby an excellent food for bone and muscle development. Calcium is essential in the secretion of hormones and enzymes that are necessary for efficient body function. Eating kiwi fruit skin may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you see green kiwis, but it's better for you in the long run!
All of these vitamins boost your immune system, providing fortification against illness and disease. Because of its many health benefits, eating the whole kiwi is better for your wellness than avoiding its fuzzy skin.
I'm sorry to whoever I made fun of for eating kiwis with their skin on. It's actually amazing
— SUNSfan (@SUNSfanTV) March 16, 2020
Most people enjoy kiwis by cutting them in half and scooping out the soft green flesh. However, eating the whole fruit is better for you despite its layer of soft brown fuzz. If these health benefits inspire you to eat the whole fruit, skin included, make sure to wash beforehand to avoid consuming dirt or pesticides. Once you've done this, you're all set to enjoy a fuzzy, vitamin-packed kiwi!
The best way to enjoy all the benefits is to add the entire fruit, brown skin and all, into smoothies.
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