Kiwifruit vs. Figs — What’s the Difference? Health, Nutrition, & More

by Victoria Mazmanyan | Last updated on August 08, 2024

Medically reviewed by Elen Khachatrian

Introduction

Both figs and kiwis are delicious and nutritious fruits, but they have distinct differences in taste, texture, nutritional content, and culinary uses. In this article, we will compare the two, focusing mainly on their nutrition and impact on health.

Table of contents

Nutrition

Macronutrients and Calories

Calories
Carbohydrates
Protein and Fats

Vitamins

Minerals

Phytochemicals

Glycemic Index

Health Impact

Summary

References

Classification and Origin

Figs and kiwis are botanically not related to each other. Figs belong to the Ficus genus and the Moraceae family, while kiwi fruits are a part of the Actinidia genus and the Actinidiaceae family.

The two fruits also have differing origins. While both are ancient fruits that can now be found worldwide, kiwis are native to China, and figs are found in the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia.

Taste and Use

Figs are sweet with a honey-like flavor, while kiwis are tart and tangy, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Figs have a soft and chewy texture and crunchy seeds inside. Kiwis, on the other hand, have juicier and softer flesh with tiny, edible black seeds.

Figs can be enjoyed fresh or dried and are versatile in culinary uses, appearing in desserts, salads, and savory dishes. They are often used in Mediterranean recipes, paired with cheese, nuts, and honey to enhance their sweet, honey-like flavor.

Kiwis are typically eaten fresh, either whole or sliced, and are popular in fruit salads, smoothies, and desserts. Additionally, kiwis contain the enzyme actinidin, which makes them useful as meat tenderizers.

Unlike kiwis, some figs do not fit entirely the vegan diet. Figs that depend on wasps for pollination often contain remnants of wasps. Typically, the female wasps have mated and flown away in ripe figs. However, male wasps, which are wingless, remain inside the fig and are broken down by fig enzymes. As a result, those who consume non-commercially cultivated figs are likely to ingest dead wasps (1).

Nutrition

The nutritional information below will focus on 100g servings of raw figs and green kiwis. On average one medium-sized fig weighs 50g, while a medium kiwi fruit is around 70g.

Macronutrients and Calories

Overall, figs are nutritionally slightly denser, consisting of 79% water and 21% nutrients, while kiwis are made up of 83% water and 17% nutrients. Of those nutrients, the majority are carbohydrates for both fruits.

Calories

Figs are somewhat higher in calories, as 100g servings of figs and kiwis provide 74 and 61 calories, respectively.

The caloric intake of these fruits varies significantly depending on the quantity consumed. One average fig provides about 37 calories, while a medium-sized kiwi contains 43 calories.

Carbohydrates

Figs are higher in carbohydrates than kiwis, containing 4.5g more carbs per 100g serving. An equal 100g serving of figs and kiwis provide 19.18g and 14.66g of carbohydrates, respectively.

At the same time, these two fruits provide nearly the same amount of dietary fiber, with kiwis being slightly even richer in this nutrient. Figs, on the other hand, are almost two times higher in sugars, while kiwis contain fructose instead.

Protein and Fats

While both fruits have negligible amounts of fats and protein, kiwis are somewhat higher in both of these nutrients. However, per 100g serving, kiwis contain only 0.4g more protein and 0.2g more fats.

Vitamins

Kiwis are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K, covering 100% and 34% of the daily required values, respectively. They provide about 46 times more vitamin C and 9 times more vitamin K compared to figs.

Kiwis are also 13 times higher in vitamin E and 4 times higher in folate or vitamin B9.

On the other hand, figs provide nearly 2 times more vitamins B1, B2, B5, and B6 and vitamin A. Figs are also a little richer in vitamin B3.

Minerals

Figs and kiwis are similar in their mineral contents, containing nearly equal amounts of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.

Kiwis are about 2 times richer in phosphorus and copper and somewhat higher in potassium, while figs are a better source of manganese and iron.

While figs are 3 times lower in sodium, both fruits are low-sodium foods.

Kiwis are richer in choline.

Phytochemicals

Figs contain two primary categories of phytochemicals: polyphenols and carotenoids. The main types of polyphenols in figs are phenolic acids, flavones, flavonones, flavonols, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins. Notably, figs have a higher phenolic content than red wine and tea, which are well-known sources of these compounds (2).

Kiwi pulp contains caffeic acid coumarin glucosides and glucosyl derivatives, which are extensively used as a flavoring agent in pharmaceutical formulations. In addition to these compounds, the extract contains three forms of vitamin E, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, chlorogenic acid, campesterol, and various flavones along with their associated molecules (3).

Vanillic acid, skimmetin, isoscopoletin, sitogluside, fraxetin, emodin, catechin, questin, stearic acid, and quercetin were also found in Chinese kiwifruit (4).

Glycemic Index

Figs and kiwis are similar in their glycemic index values, both falling in the medium category. Kiwis have a glycemic index of 58, while this value has been calculated to be 61 for figs (5, 6).

The exact glycemic index value of fruits depends on various factors, such as ripeness, variety, and growing conditions. One study found the glycemic index of golden kiwis to be lower—43 (5). Another study puts this value at 39 for green kiwis and 49 for gold kiwis (6).

Health Impact

Both figs and kiwis are nutritious fruits, packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, these fruits can play a significant role in promoting overall health and well-being. In this section, we will discuss the qualities of these fruits based on scientific research.

Digestive Health

Kiwis and figs are both rich in dietary fiber, which is known to improve gastrointestinal health.

A study demonstrated that the aqueous extract of fig leaves acts as a natural laxative, effectively improving functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders without inducing diarrhea (9).

Additionally, consuming figs can benefit patients with irritable bowel syndrome by alleviating symptoms such as pain frequency, defecation frequency, distention, and stool consistency (10).

Kiwifruit also offers digestive benefits for both healthy individuals and those with gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome. Its fiber helps retain water, improve stool consistency, and reduce abdominal discomfort. Kiwifruit also promotes beneficial changes in gut microbes and contains actinidin, an enzyme that aids protein digestion in the stomach and small intestine (8).

Cardiovascular Health

Research indicates that the aqueous methanol extract of fig fruit can lower blood pressure in glucose-induced hypertensive rats by decreasing heart rate and strength of heart muscle contraction. This suggests that fig fruit may be useful in developing natural hypotensive drugs (11).

One study examined the impact of consuming two kiwifruits daily on the lipid profile, antioxidants, and markers of lipid peroxidation in hyperlipidaemic adult men and women in Taiwan. After an 8-week intervention period, there was a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) (12).

Diabetes

Both figs and kiwis have low glycemic index values and are good sources of dietary fiber, meaning that consuming these fruits does not cause a glucose spike but gradually increases the blood glucose level instead.

Fig fruit extract supplementation has been studied as a promising nutritional intervention for managing postprandial glucose and insulin levels as it can lower glycemic and insulin index values of other foods. It may also help in the glycemic management of chronic metabolic disorders like prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (13).

Kiwi fruit doesn’t quickly raise blood sugar due to its water and fiber content, but consuming it in large quantities can still impact glucose levels over time. Kiwi intake has also been researched to lower the glycemic index value of wheat-based cereal meals (12, 14).

Summary

Figs and kiwis have differing origins. While both are ancient fruits that can now be found worldwide, kiwis are native to China, and figs are found in the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia.

Figs are sweet with a honey-like flavor, while kiwis are tart and tangy, with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Overall, figs contain more calories and are nutritionally slightly denser, consisting of 79% water and 21% nutrients, while kiwis are made up of 83% water and 17% nutrients. Of those nutrients, the majority are carbohydrates for both fruits. While figs provide 4.5g more carbohydrates per 100g serving, the two fruits are nearly equal in their dietary fiber content. Instead, figs are almost 2 times higher in sugar, while kiwis have sucrose.

Kiwis provide about 46 times more vitamin C and 9 times more vitamin K than figs.

Both figs and kiwis have low glycemic index values and are good sources of dietary fiber, meaning that consuming these fruits does not cause a glucose spike but gradually increases the blood glucose level instead. However, figs have been more researched for their anti-diabetic qualities.

References

Author name: Victoria Mazmanyan

Education: General Medicine at YSMU

Last updated: August 08, 2024

Medically reviewed by Elen Khachatrian