More than skin deep solution

Every now and then you come across a new lotion or potion that is said to enhance your looks, improve your skin or combat the effects of aging, writes Rohan Shanker.

Some have fancy names and are outrageously expensive, others are a fraction invasive such as collagen and Botox, and some are simply strange – the British actress Sarah Miles has drunk her own urine for the past 30 years, for example.

But one proven beauty aid is readily and cheaply available at the local supermarket: the humble kiwifruit from New Zealand.

The kiwifruit is regarded as a genuine super fruit, brimming with essential vitamins, minerals and Omega 3 oils. It contains more potassium than a banana, more Vitamin C than an orange, more nutrients than five apples and is abundant in Vitamin E, often known as ‘the vitamin of youth’.

It is also considered as a suitable fruit to provide a needed boost when it comes time to break the fast during Ramadan.

Vitamin E plays an important role in the regeneration of healthy skin cells and helps keep the skin supple and maintain its elasticity. And good old Vitamin C is becoming increasingly common in anti-aging creams and serums. This is because it is a powerful antioxidant, protecting the skin against free radicals, which come from everyday environmental factors such as pollution.

Omega 3 oils are a group of essential fatty acids which aren’t produced naturally by the body alone, though these are a vital element in good health and healthy skin. Kiwifruit is also a source of Alfa Linoleic Acid, which is essential for the maintenance and production of healthy cell membranes and for the prevention and treatment of many skin disorders. This oil is derived from the kiwifruit’s small black pips, which are crushed to extract kiwifruit oil.

That’s how kiwifruit helps from the inside out – but it can also be applied externally as a skincare treatment. At least one company uses a blend of kiwifruit extracts in an extensive range of beauty products, including body lotion, soap, shampoo, hand cream, eye gel, body butter and more. 

The kiwifruit originated in China and was known initially as the Chinese gooseberry when seeds were first transported to New Zealand. However, growers became the world’s largest source for the fruit, which became known globally as the kiwifruit after its national symbol: the flightless kiwi bird.

Hala Barghout, a leading nutritionist and licensed clinical dietician in the Gulf region, is a big kiwifruit supporter. “Everyone knows that citrus fruit contains vitamin C, but a kiwifruit actually contains twice as much vitamin C as an orange of the same size – and three times as much as a lemon,” she said.

“Vitamin C helps strengthen the body’s defences and promotes healthy bones, teeth and blood vessels. Kiwifruit is also a good source of the antioxidant Vitamin E. It provides twice the level of Vitamin E as an apple and is five times more nutritious.”

Kiwifruit has a particular benefit in the region, where diabetes is a common problem with as many as one in four suffering from the condition in some Gulf States, for example. Because people with diabetes cannot process a high and rapid rise in blood glucose levels, low to moderate Glycemic Index (GI) foods are recommended.

GI measures how fast blood glucose levels rise after consuming food. Food with a high GI Index (above 70) results in a rapid increase in blood glucose levels after they are eaten, while foods with a low GI (less than 55) result in only moderate increases.

“The total level of sugar in a kiwifruit is typical of most fruit,” says Megan Unsworth, a Zespri kiwifruit grower who lives in Dubai. “Interestingly, kiwifruit has low levels of sucrose as well as its relatively equal balance of fructose and glucose levels. These factors are believed to contribute to the low GI value of a kiwifruit.”

The high fibre content also helps here, as a high-fibre diet is also recommended in the management of diabetes. Several research studies have shown that fibre in kiwifruit has a significant effect on the viscosity of stomach contents and slows glucose diffusion and absorption from the gut. As such, this may be one of the contributing factors to the low GI scores of a kiwifruit.

A balanced diet rich in foods with a low GI can help lower the risk of diabetes and cardiac problems. “What’s more, a healthy digestive system ensures faster metabolism and the speedy removal of toxins from the body,” Megan added. “And the low calorie content of kiwifruit allows you to enjoy its sweet, mouth-watering taste without having to worry about gaining weight.”

The whole family will enjoy the sweet taste and the ‘cut, scoop and enjoy’ ease of eating the fruit, its marketers say, and at the same time they’ll be benefiting from its many hidden nutritional benefits and giving themselves a free beauty treatment with every serving.