A recent study suggests that by incorporating more kiwis into your diet, the need for vitamin C supplementation could be reduced or eliminated. Published last month in Foods, the research revealed that consuming two SunGold kiwifruits daily for six weeks led to a significant increase in daily ascorbic acid (vitamin C) intake by 150 mg. The findings indicate that meeting this level of vitamin C through kiwi consumption may offer health benefits and eliminate the need for additional supplementation. Dr. Laura Purdy, a board-certified family medicine physician, emphasized the immune-boosting properties of kiwifruit, highlighting its significance in strengthening the immune system during cold and flu seasons.
What Is a SunGold Kiwi?
Unlike green kiwis which have fuzzy brown skin, an oval shape, and green fruit, gold kiwifruits have smooth, hairless skin and yellow fruit. Gold kiwis also contain more than 290% of the vitamin C you need daily.2
While this study on the effects of eating kiwifruit daily was small in size—consisting of only 24 healthy males between the ages of 25 and 60 without a history of type 1 or 2 diabetes or glucose intolerance—the results were promising.
Not only did the participants increase their vitamin C levels, but their fiber intake also increased, and their inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers were not negatively impacted.
This means it is safe to consume kiwifruit daily without any adverse reactions to your metabolism—unless you’re allergic to it. Purdy explained that, interestingly, it is not uncommon to be allergic to kiwifruit.
“If you notice any symptoms of an allergy, then it’s important to consult with your doctor,” she said. “This includes an itchy throat, vomiting, swollen tongue, trouble swallowing, breaking out of hives, and difficulty breathing.”
Here’s how daily kiwi consumption can boost vitamin C levels and make a positive impact on overall well-being.
SunGold Kiwis Are Full of Vitamin C
Kiwis stand out as vitamin C powerhouses.
While many people associate vitamin C with increased orange consumption or supplements, Jacqueline Wyman, MS, RDN, CDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Jacqueline Wyman Nutrition LLC in Westchester, New York, highlights that SunGold kiwis—specifically used in the study—provide the highest vitamin C content per gram.
Adding one or two SunGold kiwis to your daily routine ensures that you meet the recommended vitamin C intake, according to Wyman. Beyond their rich vitamin C percentage, choosing kiwis as a snack over less nutrient-dense options can contribute to overall improved nutrition and well-being.
Wyman explains that an 80g piece of SunGold kiwi contains 130 mg of vitamin C, while the green variety, albeit slightly smaller, contains 70 mg. If you enjoy kiwifruit, Wyman recommends considering them as an excellent source to fulfill your daily vitamin C requirement.
Kiwifruit’s Impact on Cold and Flu
There is limited research on whether or not kiwifruit will prevent you from getting a cold or flu—even with its large quantities of vitamin C.
The idea of taking large doses of vitamin C to prevent the common cold originated in the 1970s when scientist and researcher Linus Pauling speculated that a daily vitamin C intake of 1,000 mg could reduce the incidence of colds by about 45%.
However, other clinical studies since then have failed to demonstrate its efficacy.
That said, researchers in a 2012 study did find that eating kiwifruit could potentially shorten the duration of a cold.
Scientists found that people who ate four gold kiwis a day reported less severe congestion and sore throat pain than the control group. The participants who ate kiwis each day also noted that their cold symptoms resolved faster than those in the control group.
There also are other benefits to eating kiwifruit.
Research has found that regularly eating kiwis can increase HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol), reduce triglycerides, and lower blood pressure. And, gold kiwis, in particular, may help people with anemia boost their iron levels when eaten alongside iron-rich meals.
“Incorporating kiwi into your daily routine this winter is a practical way of taking in vitamin C because smaller doses are more readily absorbed than one large dose, such as a supplement,” says Wyman.
She recommends that people plan to have a kiwi as part of a midday snack or dessert, along with other fruits and vegetables that contain higher levels of vitamin C.
Boosting Your Vitamin C This Winter
According to Wyman, obtaining vitamin C from a variety of fruits and vegetables is preferred to supplements because they offer many other benefits as opposed to one single vitamin.
“It is interesting to note that in studies of vitamin C and prevention or treatment of disease, [researchers] state that it is difficult to separate the benefits of vitamin C with the synergistic effect of all the components in fruit and vegetables, for example, fiber, folate, magnesium, and potassium,” she said.
If you are looking to boost your vitamin C but do not like kiwi or are allergic to it, you can find vitamin C in several other foods, too.
Aside from oranges, bell peppers in all colors have generous amounts of vitamin C, with orange bell peppers having the most, explained Wyman.
“You can also get a comparable amount of vitamin C in kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, strawberries, and pineapple,” she said.