Kiwi Berries are a Nutritional Power House

Our kiwi berries are a nutritional powerhouse. They are the most nutrient dense of all the major fruits, and are an extremely healthy food source. Containing almost 20 vital nutrients, kiwi berries are considered a super fruit! They're not just delicious...they're good for you.

Our non-traditional management systems provide our berries maximum sunshine. Fruit exposed to the sun contain higher sugar levels (brix), which in turn provides greater nutrient values that include today's sought after antioxidants.

Brix directly relates to the total soluble solids content (SSC) of a the fruit which is determined by the index of refraction. This is measured using a refractometer, and is referred to as the degrees Brix.

The degrees Brix measurement represents all of the dissolved solids in the sample which includes soluble minerals, carbohydrates (sugars and starches) and other soluble chemicals such as amino acids, enzymes, and so on.

The higher the Brix, the better the quality and the more nutritionally dense the produce. Nutrient Dense Foods have very high levels of vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and trace minerals. Major minerals are abundantly supplied as are trace elements such as selenium, chromium, iodine, and cobalt. As a result they have the greatest impact on improving health and providing nutrition against disease.

Antioxidants: Are the body's first defense force in fighting disease and they counteract damage to the body by free radicals.

Vitamin C - five times the Vitamin C of an orange

- Nature's immune- boosting defense against colds and flu

- Cleanses the body of impurities, and helps combat the effects of stress and aging

- Helps repair the body and enhance cell growth

Vitamin E - twice that of an avocado with only 60% of the calories

- A good source - extremely hard to find in low-fat food sources

- Helps lower high cholesterol and reduces narrowing of the arteries

Vitamin A - Essential in vision, normal bone, tooth development, reproduction, and the

health of skin

Vitamin B6 - equals the amount of a serving of spinach

- Shortage in the American diet - especially in women using oral contraceptives, those who are pregnant or breast feeding as well as some children and older adults.

- A serving of kiwi has some 4% of USRDA of B6 making it one of the few foods rich in this vitamin

- Important to the immune system to fight disease

- Helps maintain a normal blood sugar level

Vitamin B2 - the same amount as found in 100% fortified breakfast cereal

- Helps maintain a healthy nervous system and red blood cells

Folate (Folic Acid) - For Women

- a B vitamin that protects against birth defects, cancer, and heart disease

- Crucial for women and their babies before and during pregnancy

- Makes healthy replacement blood and skin cells

Carotenoids

- KiwiBerries contain carotenoids: carotenes (primarily beta carotene), luteins and xanthophylls. Diets high in foods containing carotenoids have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Flavonoids (Higher levels due to KiwiBerries edible skin)

- Another group of phytochemicals, the phenolic compounds, are found primarily in the skin of KiwiBerries. These compounds, such as flavonoids, have received much attention because of their antioxidant, antiallergenic, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties

Fiber: (both soluble and insoluble)

- Soluble fiber protects against heart disease and diabetes

- Insoluble fiber reduces the risk of some cancers, constipation, and diverticulitis

- A good source of dietary fiber, with 4 grams a serving, 16% of the USRDA

- Helps remove potentially harmful substances from the body

Cholesterol and Fat:

-Contains no cholesterol and virtually no fat only about 1 gram per serving from the tiny black seeds.

- Helps fight heart disease and high cholesterol

- Great for those on weight-loss programs

Minerals:

Potassium - Higher per ounce than bananas

- A single serving outranks bananas as the top low-sodium, high-potassium fruit

- Critical to maintaining the body's fluid and electrolyte balance

- Assists in the reduction of hypertension and high blood pressure

Magnesium

- Important for bone formation, heart rhythm regulation, muscle relaxation, and nerve function

- Activates enzymes that metabolize food components to form protein and release energy

Manganese

- An essential to the enzymes involved in our use of protein and food energy, and also in the marketing of body chemicals needed to protect both our respiratory and digestive tracts.

Copper - For Kids

- Vital for infant growth, bone strength, brain development, and building immunity

- A mineral involved in making red blood cells and needed for normal bone formation.

Calcium

- Essential for normal growth and maintenance of bones and teeth

- Kiwi Berries are a source of calcium without the additional fat of dairy products

Iron

- Needed for oxygen-based metabolism

- Small amounts can be meaningful for those with problems of iron-deficiency anemia

Phosphorus

- A component of DNA and RNA and an essential element for all living cells

Selenium

- An essential trace element

- May help prevent cancer by acting as an antioxidant or by enhancing immune activity

Chromium

- A key factor both in regulating the heartbeat and the body's use of carbohydrates, like sugars and starches, which are our bodies main source of energy

Zinc - For Men

- Important for young boys and men - an ingredient needed to make the hormone testosterone

- Necessary for healthy hair, nails, eyes, and skin

Sodium

- Kiwi is low in sodium and contains no cholesterol and virtually no fat only about 1 gram per serving from the tiny black seeds.

- Sodium has been identified as having a dietary effect on blood pressure. Fortunately, there is so little sodium in kiwifruit that it can be labeled as zero.

The future for kiwi as an important cancer prevention agent seems encouraging in light of recent studies. ( Noburu Motohashi ) Kiwifruit Enthusiasts Journal.

Kiwi is a nutritional powerhouse and an extremely healthy food source. They contain twice the amount of Vitamin E of an avocado fruit, with only 60% of its calories. Kiwi is rich in folic acid, high in fibre, excellent in potassium (higher per ounce than bananas), an extraordinary source of chromium, and have almost no sodium. Some 20 nutrients, all but 3 in meaningful amounts, are contained in this fruit. In this regard kiwi resembles a vegetable more than a fruit, and it may be considered a "super fruit". The Vitamin C content is almost five times that of a medium orange.

The positive elements of these berries are of valuable importance to both health consciousness, and medical benefits as well. In China, Actinidia in general is known as a medicine against cancer. It is said, the Vitamin C, actinidia and 3-Oxy 2- pyranol are efficient in curing cancer. In China people use those fruits as prophylactic medicine and curative medicine.

Kiwi is an ancient Chinese fruit tree indigenous to southern Asia whose popularity has grown since the beginning of this century when it was introduced to New Zealand. Since this time, its use as a traditional Chinese medicament has been investigated and studies of "cancer" records of China reveal that kiwi has been used in anticancer therapy. Recent studies have elucidated two active principles of kiwi, whose modes of action have been investigated. Ascorbic acid, present in relatively great amounts in kiwi, act both directly and indirectly in preventing some types of cancer. It acts directly in the quenching of cancer causing free radicals and the inhibition of the production of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. Indirectly, ascorbic acid promotes the production of interferon, and the increased production of "second messengers" such as cyclic-AMAP and cyclic-GMP. Another constituent of kiwi, actinidin protease, acts directly to break down animal proteins in the digestive tract thereby aiding in the digestion of meats. This facilitates improved maintenance of the digestive tract in the defense against cancer.

The overall composition of A. Arguta from a thesis by Philippe Rothgerber published in the Kiwifruit Enthusiasts Journal Vol. 6: