Nutrients in kiwi skin
Kiwi fruit is also known as the Chinese gooseberry, and present in it is a whole lot of nutrients. Kiwi fruits have skins that can either be green or brown in color. Over the time, several people have debated as to whether the skin should be eaten or not. Not too many people actually like the fact that the skin can be fuzzy when chewed upon. However, the nutrients in the kiwi skin are numerous enough to get you eating them regardless of their fuzziness.
Kiwi fruit skin nutrition facts
Kiwi fruits stand out in their high levels of nutrients, and here, we will be discussing the kiwi skin nutrition facts. They are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Folic acid, Calcium, Potassium, etc. Vitamin K will ensure that the bones are stronger and healthier. Vitamin C will ensure that the collagen fibers in the body are well maintained.
One kiwi fruit contains the following;
- 42 calories
- Less than 1g of protein
- Less than 0.5g of fat
- 10g of carbohydrate
- 2g of fiber
- 6g of sugar
Can eating kiwi skin harm you?
Kiwi skins are highly nutritious, but then, can eating kiwi skin harm you? Apart from the fact that the skin of kiwi has a very unpleasant texture in the mouth, there are still a couple other issues that may prevent you from eating the kiwi skin. One of them is the occurrence of allergies after eating the fruit. Some of these allergies include a slightly itchy mouth. In some cases, the allergies are so severe that whoever eats the fruits could suffer from anaphylaxis. Such severe cases mean that the kiwi skin is harmful to you.
The occurrence of the allergies described above indicates that a person is prone to latex food allergies, which occur when the immune system reacts to some proteins that have a shape similar to latex or birch pollen. Some of these proteins occur in the kiwi fruit too. These allergies usually lead to an itching sensation in the mouth, swollen lips sinus congestion, and so on. For people who are affected by these symptoms, they could opt for safer options like the cooked kiwi fruits whose proteins have been reshaped under the effect of heat.
Another very harmful side effect that these kiwi skins can present is the occurrence of kidney stones. This situation mostly occurs when you eat the fruits too much. Kiwi fruits are rich in calcium oxalate crystals, which contribute largely to the occurrence of kidney stones. However, the skins have even more of the crystals than the actual flesh itself. Once these crystals of calcium oxalate bind to the calcium that is present in the body, it could lead to the formation of stones that would more or less block the ducts in the kidneys. Once the ducts are blocked, passing out urine automatically becomes difficult.
The fuzziness of the skin though is caused by the occurrence of naturally occurring calcium oxalate crystals called raphides within them. Now, these crystals usually work to scratch at the tender membranes inside your mouth. When these slight scratches occur, the acid in the fruit attacks them, causing you to feel a sharp sting. These crystals are more in the skin than in the flesh though, and that is why most people would end up peeling off the skin first
Ripe kiwi fruits however do not usually produce the stinging sensation as much as the unripe ones. The reason for this is that the ripe fruits have skins with softer mesh that trap the raphides, and reduces their general effects.
Lastly, you must ensure that you wash the kiwi skins before you eat them. Most times, the surfaces of the skins have dirt particles, germs and even pesticides. To get rid of them, ensure that you keep the fruit soaked for about fifteen minutes in a mix of baking soda and water before eating. Such mix at the end of the day gets out more dirt and germs than water alone would.
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What are the benefits of kiwi skin?
Kiwi skins have very many nutrients, but then, what are the benefits of kiwi skin? Why should you eat them? Why shouldn’t the fuzziness of the skins discourage you from chewing on them? Here, we will be taking a look at a couple of these reasons.
- Kiwi skin is heavily loaded with nutrients
The very first nutrients you will find in kiwi skins are fibers, folic acid, and Vitamin E. The fibrous content goes a long way in feeding the good bacteria that reside in the gut. Foods that are rich in fiber usually reduce the incidence of heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes.
Folic acid is another nutrient that is very important for the growth of body cells, as well as division cycles, like the mitotic cell division. Vitamin E, the other nutrient, is one that is fat-soluble with a lot of anti-oxidant properties that help to get rid of free radicals in the body.
So, if you were to eat the skin of a kiwi fruit, you’d boost the concentration of fibers in your system by 50%, the folic acid by 32%, and the Vitamin E concentration by 34%, which by far are very huge values that you won’t be able to get from the flesh alone. The nutrients in kiwi skin are so numerous that you could eat them in place of your actual diets.
- The skin is rich in antioxidants
What most people do not know is that the skin of a kiwi fruit has more antioxidants that the flesh itself. The skin is also very rich in Vitamin C and E. Vitamin C is soluble in water, and so, can easily fight the oxidative damages made by the free radicals in the body, and within the blood.
Vitamin E, on the other hand is fat-soluble, and will help fight the free radicals that exist within the cell membranes. Since the kiwi skin has both the fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, which are more or less antioxidants, you can be sure that you have ample protection against free radicals.
- Kiwi skin helps to work on the levels of cholesterol present in the body
If you eat about two kiwi fruits per day for a time frame of eight weeks, you can be sure that the levels of cholesterol in the body will be balanced until it gets to a point where it favors the health of your heart.
- It helps to lower the pressure of the blood in the body
Eat three kiwi fruits with the skins still attached to reduce blood pressure within a time frame of eight weeks.
- It helps to absorb iron better
You can correct a situation where you suffer from iron deficiency by eating the skins of kiwi fruit.
- It increases the resistance of the immune system at the frontiers
Consequently, you wouldn’t have to suffer from issues relating to head congestion, sore throats, or other mild infections.
- Your food gets digested more easily
The skins of kiwi fruits help to enhance the digestion of foods in the body since they contain an enzyme called actinidin, which works on the proteins in your foods.
- There is a lower incidence of constipation
Constipation and bowel movements can be eased by eating the skins of kiwi fruits, since they are very rich in fiber. All you just need to do is consume them about two times a day.
See Also:
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