about gold kiwifruit
Gold kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) are an excellent source of vitamin C, dietary fibre, folate, and other minerals and antioxidants. They are one of the most nutrient-dense fruits in the world.
The gold kiwifruit has bronze-toned, smooth, hairless skin. Its flavour is sweet and tropical, with notes of pineapple and mango. Gold kiwifruit are less acidic than the original green kiwifruit and have a slightly different nutritional composition.
Nutrient density scores calculated based on the methods of Darmon N, et al. A Nutrient Density Standard for Vegetables and Fruits: Nutrients per Calorie and Nutrients per Unit Cost. J Am Diet Assoc 2005:105:1881-7 https://www.zespri.com/en-NZ/nutrition
The difference between green and gold kiwifruit
Gold kiwifruit has more vitamin C and more sugar than green. Green has more fibre and more actinidin, the protein-digesting enzyme. Neither wins on every measure, so the better pick depends on what you want from the fruit. For the green side in detail, see Actazin’s guide to green kiwifruit.
| Raw kiwifruit, per 100 g | Gold kiwifruit (SunGold) | Green kiwifruit |
|---|---|---|
| Flesh and skin | Golden-yellow flesh, smooth bronze skin with no fuzz | Bright green flesh, brown fuzzy skin |
| Taste | Sweet and tropical, with notes of pineapple and mango; less acidic | Tangier and more acidic |
| Total sugars | 12.3 g | 8.99 g |
| Vitamin C | 161.3 mg | 92.7 mg |
| Dietary fibre | 1.4 g | 3.0 g |
| Actinidin (protein-digesting enzyme) | Lower: about 28% of green kiwifruit’s activity in one in vitro comparison of SunGold and Hayward extracts | Higher |
| Typical use | Eaten fresh, skin included if you like; the source fruit for Livaux®, our gold kiwifruit prebiotic | Eaten fresh, usually peeled; the source fruit for Actazin®, our green kiwifruit digestive ingredient |
Sources: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy entries for ZESPRI SunGold kiwifruit (FDC 168211) and green kiwifruit (FDC 168153), raw. Actinidin activity: Actinidin in Green and SunGold Kiwifruit Improves Digestion of Alternative Proteins, Foods 2022, 11(18), 2739 (in vitro). Taste and skin descriptions as per the Zespri nutrition information cited on this page.
Health benefits of gold kiwifruit
Full of nutritional goodness, gold kiwifruit are one of the healthiest fruits around. Kiwifruit have been shown to support digestive health, the immune system, and everyday good health.
Kiwifruit are a great source of vitamin C, with gold kiwifruit providing 3 times that of an orange per 100 g. The benefits of vitamin C include:
• Supporting the immune system to help reduce the duration and severity of colds and flu;
• Reducing tiredness and fatigue;
• Supporting collagen formation, which is essential for healthy skin, teeth and bones.
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Gold kiwifruit contain a good level of vitamin E and polyphenols which have been shown to have an antioxidant effect.
Kiwifruit has a low glycemic index. This is largely due to the unique hydration properties of kiwifruit dietary fibre – the fibre swells to nearly 3 times its original size which makes uptake of sugars into the bloodstream steadier.
The kiwifruit dietary fibre (namely hemicellulose, cellulose and pectin) supports digestive health by helping to bulk up stool, improve transit time and act as a prebiotic by getting fermented in the colon by the good bacteria that reside there.
Kiwifruit pectin in particular is a great prebiotic. It has a highly complex structure and is slowly fermented by the good bacteria in the gut, including our good gut buddy, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prau).
Potassium is an important mineral that helps maintain muscle function and supports healthy metabolism, water balance, electrolytic functions, and the nervous system.
As a good source of folate, kiwifruit is ideal for the whole family. Folate is an essential nutrient for cellular growth and development, which is why it is so important during pregnancy and in children.
New Zealand gold kiwifruit have a nutritional advantage
Not only does New Zealand have clean air and water, ample sunshine and rich soil, it also has higher UV levels than other countries at similar latitudes. Ultraviolet intensities in the New Zealand summer are at least 37% higher than similar latitudes in the northern hemisphere.
More UV in the sunlight translates to more polyphenols in the plant’s leaves and fruit. Some polyphenols have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, so a New Zealand-grown gold kiwifruit has higher bioactivity levels than a gold kiwifruit grown elsewhere.
What Makes NZ
gold kiwifruit special?
Gold kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) are among the most nutrient-dense fruits available, delivering high levels of vitamin C, fibre, folate and key minerals in a relatively low-calorie package.
Nutrient density scores calculated based on the methods of Darmon N, et al. A Nutrient Density Standard for Vegetables and Fruits: Nutrients per Calorie and Nutrients per Unit Cost. J Am Diet Assoc 2005:105:1881-7 https://www.zespri.com/en-NZ/nutrition
With smooth, bronze, hairless skin and a naturally sweet flavour reminiscent of pineapple-mango, gold kiwifruit are less acidic than traditional green kiwifruit and offer a slightly different nutrition profile.
Did you know there are different types (varieties) of gold kiwifruit?!
The first yellow or gold fleshed kiwifruit variety, “Hort16A”, was developed in New Zealand in the 1980s and 1990s through a collaborative breeding programme between HortResearch (now the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research)) and Zespri International Ltd (Zespri).
It wasn’t until 2000 though that gold kiwifruit, marketed as Zespri™ Gold Kiwifruit, were officially launched internationally.
Zespri™ Gold Kiwifruit were very popular, being less furry and sweeter than the green variety. However, in 2010, a bacterial vine disease, known as Psa, hit kiwifruit growers in NZ devastating the crop.
Thankfully, through the breeding programme, Zespri and PFR had another gold variety in the works that proved to be tolerant to Psa. This variety, “Zesy002” or “Gold3”, is what Anagenix uses to make Livaux.
gold kiwifruit more popular than green!
Kiwifruit is New Zealand’s top export crop, making up nearly half of all fruit exports in 2021!1 Not surprisingly, given its sweet, tropical flavour, exports of gold kiwifruit from New Zealand have skyrocketed since the new variety launched in 2010. By 2020, export volumes of gold kiwifruit overtook those of green. This is largely drive by exports to China, Japan and South Korea, where gold kiwifruit is more popular than its green cousin.
What sort of volumes are produced in NZ?
New Zealand is the 2nd largest producer of kiwifruit. Kiwifruit volume is typically measured in trays (1 tray = approx. 3.6 kg of fruit) and in 2021, about 80 million trays of green kiwifruit (290 million kg) and 99 million trays of gold kiwifruit (357 million kg) were harvested in NZ. This was from around 7,500 hectares of green kiwifruit and 7,800 hectares of gold kiwifruit.
Most of this kiwifruit is grown in kiwifruit country – the Bay of Plenty in the North Island – however the fruit is also grown further north around Auckland and the Waikato, but also in the top of the South Island (around Motueka).
New Zealand’s Kiwifruit Breeding Programme
Plant & Food Research operates the world’s largest kiwifruit breeding programme which is jointly funded by New Zealand’s Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Zespri.
The breeding programme has led to the release of the Psa-resistant “Zesy002” variety and more recently to a red-fleshed kiwifruit.
In 2021, a new Kiwifruit Breeding Centre was established by Plant & Food Research and Zespri to deliver new varieties of premium kiwifruit to the world2. The Centre will use cutting-edge technology and natural breeding techniques to develop new varieties that are tasty, nutritious and sustainable.
LIVAUX® – your new
preCISION PREbiotic.
SCIENTIFICALLY
SUPPORTED
INCREASES
FAECALIBACTERIUM
PRAUSNITZII
GENTLE DIGESTIVE
HEALTH SUPPORT
SUPPORT THE
IMMUNE SYSTEM
LOW DOSE
THE PROOF IS IN THE POWDER 
Gut microbiome balance and our good gut friend, F. prau
The huge community of micro-organisms that live in your intestinal tract needs the right population balance to work as it should.
Livaux® – a precision prebiotic for F. prau
New research shows that Livaux, made from gold kiwifruit, can improve gut microbiota composition by increasing numbers of F.prau, a beneficial gut bacteria.
Nutrient-rich gold kiwifruit Livaux is produced in New Zealand using 100% New Zealand gold kiwifruit
Livaux is produced in New Zealand by Anagenix, a pionerring nutraceuatical company that specialises in supplement and functional food ingredients based on New Zealand-grown bioactives.
The importance of gut
microbiome balance.
It’s now common knowledge that the health status of our digestive systems can affect our overall well-being in many ways. More specifically, people might be concerned about looking after their ‘gut microbiome’, the name given to the immense community of micro-organisms living within the intestinal tract.
The ultimate goal of gut microbiome management is to ensure there is a good number and a good range of beneficial bacteria in our guts, so that we feel well every day and are doing everything we can to support our immune systems. Balancing the gut microbiome is known to be important for a whole range of health problems, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colorectal cancer, diabetes, thyroid disorders, asthma, allergies and more.
find better balance
with livaux®.
Livaux® is an innovative natural supplement made from non-GMO New Zealand gold kiwifruit. Research shows that just 600 mg of Livaux daily helps specific beneficial bacteria – Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prau) – to flourish and recover. This is a desirable situation because F. prau, as a major butyrate producer, can increase the amount of butyrate in the body.
Butyrate is an important short-chain fatty acid that has a range of health benefits and functions in the body including being used as an energy source for cells lining the large intestine, supporting the immune system and regulating various metabolic functions. Low levels of F. prau are associated with an increasing number of health conditions including IBS, IBD, asthma, obesity, depression and respiratory tract infections.
who makes livaux®
the gut microbiome solution?
Livaux® is a patented product that is available to nutraceutical companies and ingredient suppliers as a bioactive ingredient. It can be combined with other ingredients to create a total bowel health supplement, or used on its own as a specific gut microbiome balance treatment. It is also available as Livaux Organic, a BioGro certified organic variant.
Livaux is produced in New Zealand by Anagenix, a pioneering nutraceutical company that specialises in supplement and functional food ingredients based on New Zealand-grown bioactives.
Clean‑label
Whole‑fruit
gold kiwifruit.
Our gold kiwifruit ingredient Livaux®, is made from 100% New Zealand grown fruit, with no artificial colours or flavours.
This whole‑fruit, clean‑label approach lets you enjoy the natural goodness of gold kiwifruit in a convenient format that keeps the ingredient list simple and recognisable.
Gold kiwifruit pectin
& the microbiome.
Kiwifruit pectin is a highly complex soluble fibre that is slowly fermented by beneficial gut bacteria along the length of the colon.
This gradual fermentation helps avoid the excess gas and discomfort often associated with rapidly fermentable prebiotics, while still delivering sustained prebiotic benefits.
As an excellent prebiotic substrate for F. prau and other beneficial microbes, gold kiwifruit help support a more resilient gut microbiome and better overall digestive comfort.
Golden kiwifruit FAQs
Are golden kiwis good for you?
Yes. Raw gold kiwifruit supplies 161.3 mg of vitamin C, 1.4 g of fibre and 31 µg of folate per 100 g, for about 63 kcal (USDA). Human trials on gold kiwifruit have also reported more frequent bowel movements and softer stools in adults with constipation.
Which is healthier, green or gold kiwifruit?
Neither wins on every measure. Per 100 g, gold kiwifruit has more vitamin C (161.3 mg against 92.7 mg) and more sugar, while green has more fibre (3.0 g against 1.4 g) and more actinidin, the protein-digesting enzyme. Choose gold for vitamin C and sweetness, green for fibre.
Is green or gold kiwi better for constipation?
The gold kiwifruit evidence we cite is a four-week crossover trial of 32 adults with functional constipation or IBS-C. Three gold kiwifruit a day raised weekly complete spontaneous bowel movements by 3.0 and softened stools, significantly more than Metamucil (Eady et al., 2019). No trial we cite compares green and gold head to head.
Should you eat golden kiwi skin?
Yes, if you like the texture. Gold kiwifruit skin is smooth and hairless, so wash the fruit and eat it whole. In a 2020 crossover trial of 19 healthy adults and 19 adults with IBS-C, eating the skin with the flesh significantly reduced pain in the IBS-C group (Eady et al., 2020).
Does golden kiwi have more vitamin C than an orange?
Yes, about three times as much per 100 g. USDA lists 161.3 mg of vitamin C in raw gold kiwifruit (SunGold) against 53.2 mg in raw oranges (all commercial varieties). Gold kiwifruit also has more vitamin C than green kiwifruit, which USDA lists at 92.7 mg per 100 g.
Does golden kiwi help you sleep?
There is no gold kiwifruit sleep trial in the evidence we cite. A 2011 study of 24 adults with sleep problems reported better sleep after two kiwifruit an hour before bed for four weeks, but it had no control group, so treat the result as preliminary rather than proven.
Is golden kiwi the same as yellow kiwi?
Yes. Golden, gold and yellow kiwifruit all describe yellow-fleshed Actinidia chinensis, as opposed to green kiwifruit, which is usually Actinidia deliciosa. SunGold is Zespri’s gold variety, also called Gold3 or Zesy002, and it is the variety Anagenix uses to make Livaux.
