Kiwifruit

While more research needs to be conducted on humans, kiwifruit is looking particularly promising as a powerful medicinal food. Eating two of these delicious fruit per day is showing positive health benefits for many of the conditions that affect us today.

DR KAREN BRIDGMAN

Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa, also called Chinese gooseberry) is native to central and eastern China. The first description was recorded during the Song dynasty in the 12th century; however, it was gathered from the wild, not cultivated, and used as a medicine. During the 20th century the cultivation of kiwifruit spread from China to New Zealand as the first commercial plantings, although by 2018 China still produced half of the world’s crop.

There are about 60 varieties of kiwifruit, the most common being Actinidia deliciosa (fuzzy kiwifruit), but there is also golden kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis), hearty red kiwifruit, purple kiwifruit and kiwiberries among others.

Kiwifruit grow in temperate climates and are generally either male or female — both are needed for pollination, with one male to between three and eight females being a good ratio. Even self-pollinating kiwifruit are more productive with a male vine nearby, but all can be difficult to pollinate as the blooming times must be synchronised. The flowers are pollinated by birds and bees, but as they are notoriously difficult to pollinate, commercial growers often blow collected pollen over the female flowers.

Nutrition