The health benefits of kiwano, the fruit your body has been waiting to try, are seemingly endless.
The world is full of odd-shaped, funny-looking fruits and vegetables! You’d be amazed by some of the food staples nature has produced for human consumption. From the stinking durian to the spiky cactus fruit to the seed-packed pomegranate, fruits and vegetables come in all shapes and sizes. One particularly odd-looking fruit known as the horned melon, or kiwano, is a truly amazing food to add to your diet.
The kiwano is a fruit that originated in Africa, though it can be found in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and even in some U.S. states–such as Mississippi and California. The curious-looking yellow-orange spiked fruit has a soft green interior, filled with edible flesh and seeds. Here are some of the health benefits of kiwano:
- Antioxidant-rich — The kiwano contains natural forms of Vitamin E, which can help to improve the health of your hair, skin, heart, and circulatory system. Vitamin E can also reduce free radical damage in your body and reduce your risk of chronic disease. The beta carotene in kiwano can improve your eye health, boost your immune system, and reduce aging.
- Packed with Vitamin C –– Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients for a healthy body. Not only does it boost your immune system, but it plays a large role in the production of collagen, the protein that keeps your skin healthy. Vitamin C can also protect your body’s cells from free radical damage, reduce toxicity in your body, and slow aging. A single kiwano contains almost 20% of the Vitamin C you need every day.
- Great for your eyes — As mentioned above, kiwano is packed with beta carotene, an antioxidant that your body turns into Vitamin A. Vitamin A protects the cells in your eyes, preventing macular degeneration. You can get 6% of your daily Vitamin A needs from a single kiwano, making it a good fruit to add to your day if you want to have healthy eyes. As a bonus, Vitamin A also help to boost your body’s immune response in your throat, intestines, and nasal passages.
READ MORE: Six Amazingly Weird Burgers
- Improved brain health — The Vitamin E in kiwano can do wonders for your brain. Vitamin E helps to protect your brain from free radical damage, and it can reduce the degeneration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. It’s definitely a good fruit to consume for a healthy brain.
- Boost your metabolism –– Kiwano contains zinc, a nutrient that plays an important role in your metabolic function. The average American doesn’t get enough zinc in their diet, leading to a slow metabolism. Zinc helps your body turn carbs into energy, so it’s vital that you add more of this mineral to your diet. A single kiwano contains 7% of the zinc you need every day. As a bonus, zinc will also boost your body’s immune response and protect you from disease.
- Weight loss-friendly — Unlike many other fruits, kiwano is fairly low in sugar–meaning it’s fairly low in calories. It’s not as sweet as other fruits, but tastes a bit like a strongly-flavored cucumber. The fact that it’s packed with dietary fiber means that it can help to fill you up, preventing you from overeating. The low calorie content makes it a good “filler food” to stop you from snacking and cheating on your diet.
If you’re looking for something new and exotic to add to a healthy diet, you’d do well to consider this amazing, oddly-shaped little fruit!
