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Kiwifruit

Actinidia deliciosa

Also known as Kiwi, Chinese gooseberry, Green kiwifruit, Gold kiwifruit

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A fuzzy-skinned berry from a woody vine, with green or golden flesh and small edible black seeds. It contains actinidin, a protein-digesting enzyme not found in most fruit.

Gut & Digestive HealthImmune HealthSleep

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Bowel regularity

Gut & Digestive Health
Moderate evidence

Research suggests two kiwifruit a day increase stool frequency and soften stool consistency in people with constipation, with several trials pointing the same way. Trials are small, unblinded by nature and often conducted in the same few research groups.

What may be going on: Kiwifruit pectin holds water in the stool, and the enzyme actinidin appears to speed gastric and small-bowel transit.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Limited evidence

Some trials report less straining, abdominal discomfort and bloating with daily kiwifruit, including in people with irritable bowel syndrome. The trials are small and symptom scores are subjective.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Immune function

Immune Health
Limited evidence

Kiwifruit is a concentrated vitamin C source, and a small number of trials report shorter or less severe upper respiratory symptoms in older adults and in people with low vitamin C status. The trials are few and the effect in well-nourished people is unclear.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Sleep quality

Sleep
Insufficient evidence

A single small uncontrolled study is the origin of the widely repeated advice to eat kiwifruit before bed. That is not enough to support a dependable conclusion about sleep.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Kiwifruit

Ask about Kiwifruit

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories61 kcal3%
Protein1.14 g2%
Total fat0.52 g1%
Carbohydrate14.7 g5%
Fibre3 g11%
Total sugars8.99 g—
Water83.1 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.029 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.047 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.287 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.246 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A4 µg0%
Vitamin C92.7 mg103%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E1.46 mg10%
Vitamin K40.3 µg34%
Thiamin (B1)0.027 mg2%
Riboflavin (B2)0.025 mg2%
Niacin (B3)0.341 mg2%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.183 mg4%
Vitamin B60.063 mg4%
Folate25 µg6%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline7.8 mg1%
Minerals
Calcium34 mg3%
Iron0.31 mg2%
Magnesium17 mg4%
Phosphorus34 mg3%
Potassium312 mg7%
Sodium3 mg0%
Zinc0.14 mg1%
Copper0.13 mg14%
Manganese0.098 mg4%
Selenium0.2 µg0%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene52 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin122 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.61 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Kiwifruit, green, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168153).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Kiwifruit is a significant primary allergen

    Unlike most fruit allergies, kiwifruit allergy is frequently a primary sensitisation rather than a pollen cross-reaction, and it is one of the more common causes of food anaphylaxis in young children. Reactions can be systemic rather than confined to the mouth.

  • Allergy

    Latex-fruit syndrome

    Kiwifruit is one of the classic latex cross-reactive foods through its chitinase content, alongside banana, avocado and chestnut.

  • Worth knowing

    Oxalate raphides and mouth irritation

    The needle-like calcium oxalate crystals in kiwifruit can cause tingling or a raw feeling in the mouth even without an allergy, particularly with underripe fruit.