Kiwi vs Grapefruit – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing kiwi to grapefruit, we picked the kiwi.

Why?

In terms of macros, kiwi has nearly 2x the protein, slightly more carbs, and 2x the fiber, making this an easy first-round win.

In the category of vitamins, kiwi has more of vitamins B3, B6, B7, B9, C, E, and K, while grapefruit has more of vitamins A, B1, B2, and B5, yielding a 7:4 win for kiwi.

Looking at minerals, kiwi is higher in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while grapefruit is not higher in any minerals. So, no surprises for guessing which wins this category.

In other consdierations, we’ll mention:

• kiwi has some cancer-killing properties that are special to it (see the “learn more” below for details)
• one thing that grapefruit is a rich source of: furanocoumarin, which can inhibit cytochrome P-450 3A4 isoenzyme and P-glycoptrotein transporters in the intestine and liver—slowing down their drug metabolism capabilities, thus effectively increasing the bioavailability of many drugs manifold.

This latter may sound superficially like a good thing (improving bioavailability of things we want), but in practice it means that in the case of many drugs, if you take them with (or near in time to) grapefruit or grapefruit juice, then congratulations, you just took an overdose. This happens with a lot of meds for blood pressure, cholesterol (including statins), calcium channel-blockers, anti-depressants, benzo-family drugs, beta-blockers, and more. Oh, and Viagra, too. Which latter might sound funny, but remember, Viagra’s mechanism of action is blood pressure modulation, and that is not something you want to mess around with unduly. So, do check with your pharmacist to know if you’re on any meds that would be affected by grapefruit or grapefruit juice!

All in all, adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for kiwis, but by all means do enjoy either or both, unless any of the grapefruit contraindications apply!

Want to learn more?

You might like to read:

• Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer ← kiwi is top of the list!
• Watch Out For Furanocoumarins! ← for more effects than those discussed above

Take care!