Most of us do not eat Kiwis like other fruits. But, they are readily available on the market. Kiwi fruits have a thin, fuzzy edible skin, green or golden flesh, and rows of edible seeds with a sweet taste. It can be added to your regular diet in a variety of ways. For example, you can make salads, smoothies, jam, sandwiches, and toppings with it.
But our main focus is on, is Kiwi good for acid reflux?
Kiwi is usually not recommended for people who have acid reflux. During acid reflux, consumption of acidic foods is prohibited, including Kiwi, as it can aggravate acidity. Furthermore, Kiwi is rich in sugar. High sugar content makes the stomach release more gastric acid which can badly affect acid reflux. One must consult a doctor before taking Kiwi with acid reflux.
Wish to learn more? Read on then!
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Table of Content
What Are Kiwis
Kiwi is a fruit with light greenish or yellowish flesh with arrays of small, black, edible seeds. It has a thin, frizzy, fibrous light brown skin.
The fruit has a delicate texture and a sweet, distinct taste.
When eaten, it provides calories, fibers, vitamin C, calcium, protein, potassium, magnesium, and folate to our body.
Where did the Kiwi originate? Kiwis were first cultivated in present-day Southeast China in the 12th century. The first commercial cultivation took place in New Zealand in the early 20th century. This is the reason many people think of New Zealand as a country of Kiwi origin.
Along with China and New Zealand, Kiwis are now cultivated in South Korea, Greece, Japan, France, Italy, and California.
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Is Kiwi Acidic or Alkaline
Are Kiwis acidic? Kiwis are highly acidic in nature. Kiwi pH level ranges from 3.1 to 3.4, making them even more acidic than oranges.
How acidic is Kiwi? Lemons have a pH between 2.00 and 2.60, which is considered the most acidic fruit. Kiwi has a pH around that of lemon.
Kiwis, like lemons, are acidic in nature but are alkaline-forming when digested in the body. This helps to maintain the pH of the body fluids.
Is Kiwi Good For Acid Reflux
Is Kiwi fruit good for acid reflux? Since Kiwi is an acidic fruit and like other acidic fruits like lemon, cranberries, oranges, and pomegranates, it is also not recommended to use it with acid reflux.
Does Kiwi cause acid reflux? Acid reflux is caused by the overproduction of gastric acid. Gastric acid flows back through the lower esophageal opening or LES, into the esophagus, resulting in a burning sensation. This can also result in chest pain, vomiting, nausea, inflammation of the lower esophagus, and irritation in the upper abdomen.
We can see that in order to relieve symptoms of acid reflux, gastric acid must be neutralized. Consumption of acidic food can aggravate acidity in the stomach.
Secondly, Kiwis are high in sugar. Sugar-rich foods cause the stomach to produce more digestive juices, including gastric acid, to digest this sugar. This increased production of acid can also aggravate acid reflux.
However, Kiwi is not strictly prohibited in cases of acid reflux. You can consult your doctor about its use with acid reflux.
Although Kiwi is acidic, it’s alkaline-forming in the body just like eggs, which are slightly alkaline in nature but acid-forming when entering the body. It’s thus best to consult your doctor in this situation.
Can Kiwi Fruit Cause Heartburn
Kiwi consumption is less likely to cause heartburn.
It is because natural fruits and vegetables tend to be far healthier and do not cause any side effects if they are consumed moderately.
Heartburn occurs when gastric acid flows back from the stomach into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest cavity.
Kiwi does not cause heartburn when eaten by a normally active person. But if taken in excess or eaten by a person who is already suffering from acidic problems, it can lead to a burning sensation.
There are two reasons behind it.
Firstly, Kiwi is an acidic fruit and secondly, it is a fruit with high sugar content. Both of these factors can aggravate acid production in the stomach, leading to heartburn.
Are Kiwis Good For Weight Loss
Kiwi can be good for weight loss. There are three main reasons for this.
Firstly, Kiwi is a low-calorie diet. It is calories that cause weight gain, which after accumulating in the body results in obesity. A medium Kiwi provides about 41 calories. This number of calories is suitable for weight loss.
Secondly, Kiwi is a fiber-rich fruit. Besides regulating digestion in the body, fibers help to reduce appetite. It makes a person feel full, preventing him from eating at random.
Thirdly, Kiwi is enriched with vitamins and minerals, which help to maintain gut health.
Is Kiwi fattening? Vitamin C in Kiwis enhances the body’s ability to burn fats. Thus preventing fat accumulation, leading to weight loss.
Are Kiwis Good For Digestion
Yes, Kiwis are effective for digestion. This is because of the following reasons:
- Kiwi contains actinidin, a proteolytic enzyme.
In the stomach, this enzyme breaks down proteins into amino acids, thus aiding in the digestion of proteins. When protein is not digested, it can cause gut disorders that include bloating, weight imbalance, and body aches.
- Kiwi is a fiber-rich fruit.
We all know that fibers offer zero nutrition, but they help to maintain healthy digestion, preventing gut disorders like constipation.
Is Kiwi good for constipation? Fibers in the Kiwis aid digestion and soften the stools, so they pass easily through the intestine. Thus helping to treat constipation this way.
- This fruit also contains a considerable number of antioxidants in it.
Free radicals in the body cause oxidation and can destroy the cells. When this oxidation occurs in the gut, it badly affects digestion. Antioxidants like polyphenols in Kiwis prevent oxidation of the cells by free radicals.
- There are some indigestible carbohydrates in Kiwis, which can act as prebiotics.
These carbohydrates are consumed by intestinal bacteria and promote the health of the host’s gastrointestinal tract.
Are Yellow Kiwis Good For You
Is yellow Kiwi good for you? Yellow Kiwis are rarer than green ones, and they provide similar health benefits.
They help to maintain your gut health, prevent cancer, aid in weight loss and improve blood flow. They also keep the body hydrated, prevent hyperglycemia, enhance immunity, prevent body cells from oxidation, cure asthma and protect your heart.
All these benefits are due to the presence of low calories, vitamins, fibers, minerals, and antioxidants in yellow Kiwis.
How to Pick the Best Kiwi
How do you know if a Kiwi is bad? When buying ripe Kiwis, you should keep the following in mind:
- Kiwis should be free of dark spots, wrinkles, and bruises.
- The skin should be brown and fuzzy with a slightly smooth texture.
- If they smell like citrus, you can buy them, since it is a sign they are ripe.
- If Kiwis feel softer when you apply slight pressure, then you can pick them. In contrast, if they are too soft or too stiff to feel, avoid them as they are either overripe or unripe
Best Way to Eat Kiwi
Here are the different ways of eating Kiwi:
- Take a spoon to extract the whole fruit and eat it. You can also eat the skin of Kiwis if you want to get more fibers.
- Mix grapes, bananas, yogurt, and citrus juice together with sliced kiwi to create Kiwi Crunch. Added granola for crunch will make it even tastier.
- Use a blender and make a smoothie by mixing Kiwi, yogurt, bananas, and any other fruit you want to add, along with some milk and ice cubes.
- Add lemon juice, brown sugar, whole-grain muffin, nutmeg, and kiwi slices to make Kiwi Cobbler. It can be served as dessert when served with ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Kiwi a citrus fruit?
No, Kiwi is not a citrus fruit. Kiwis are from the Actinidiaceae family, while citrus fruit is from the Rutaceae family. Due to its acidity and high content of vitamin C, many people think it is a citrus fruit, but that is not true. In fact, Kiwi is richer in vitamin C than citrus fruits.
Can I eat Kiwi if I am diabetic?
Yes, you can eat Kiwi even if you are diabetic. The vitamin C, fibers, and fructose ratios in Kiwi lower its glycemic index. This makes it effective in maintaining a low blood sugar level.
Can I get more vitamin C from Kiwi as compared to Orange?
Answer: Kiwi contains more vitamin C than citrus fruits. Orange is a citrus fruit rich in vitamin C but offers less vitamin C than Kiwi.
Conclusion
Is Kiwi good for acid reflux? Acidic fruits are usually not recommended for acid reflux. Kiwis with an acidic pH can increase stomach acidity.
Kiwis also contain a relatively high sugar content, which requires more gastric acid for digestion. So they can cause the stomach to produce more acid.
