A recent study published by the internationally renowned American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that Zespri Gold kiwifruit is ahead of supplements when it comes to the body absorbing vitamin C.
Researchers at the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand, found that mice absorbed vitamin C from Zespri Gold kiwifruit five times more effectively than an artificial vitamin C supplement.
'Vitamin C is an essential vitamin for humans as it assists in completing a variety of chemical reactions in organs and body tissues essential for daily health,' said lead researcher, associate professor Margreet Vissers. 'As humans are unable to generate their own vitamin C, it needs to be sourced from the foods we eat.'
In the study, vitamin C-deficient mice were fed a known quantity of vitamin C over a month, either as Zespri Gold kiwifruit or an equivalent of artificial vitamin C supplement.
'The results were astounding – the mice that were fed the Zespri Gold kiwifruit absorbed vitamin C much more effectively than those given the purified supplement form, and they also retained it in their organs and tissues for longer,' Vissers noted.
Natalie Milne, health marketing manager for Zespri, said that the study – which is phase one of Zespri's innovative health science programme – were 'very exciting' for the group, confirming Zespri's view that the fruit can naturally strengthen and protect the body.
'Eating just one Zespri kiwifruit a day provides you with your daily requirement of vitamin C and offers much more; they are high in fibre, aid protein digestion and contain vitamin E,' Milne explained. 'When eaten daily, as part of a healthy diet, Zespri kiwifruit offers numerous health benefits, allowing individuals to stay healthy and fight disease and infection.'
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