Kiwifruit a day helps keep Sars away, say Taiwan professors

11.45am

Sales of New Zealand kiwifruit to Taiwan have jumped after two medical experts recommended eating the fruit to help protect against the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) virus.

The university professors in Taiwan said that eating two kiwifruit a day and wearing a face mask were key components in a "Strategy against Sars".

Professor Chen Teung Wang and Taipei Medical University professor Liu Chen Feng made their comments in a Taiwanese daily newspaper on May 4.

The article had an immediate effect as terrified Taiwanese people demanded more kiwifruit.

Kiwifruit contains more than twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin C -- double that of an orange and four times that of a grapefruit. It also has high carbohydrate and fibre content.

In addition to masks and germicidal sprays, Prof Liu said three ways to ward off Sars were "various good foods, fresh food, eating more vegetables and fruit, especially kiwifruit, which contains many nutrients such as high vitamin B6, C and E, carbohydrates, protein, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, copper and zinc."

Prof Liu also suggested drinking kiwifruit juice every morning.

New Zealand kiwifruit marketer, Zespri International, is buzzing with the news.

Chief executive Tim Goodacre said the article was published while New Zealand kiwifruit was still en route to Southeast Asia, so when it arrived, the supply was snapped up quickly.

"Zespri has always promoted the health and nutrition benefits of kiwifruit in all our key markets," he said.

"We haven't tried to capitalise on this health issue or any other health scares -- we have just ensured consumers know how good our kiwifruit are."

But it would be "drawing a long bow" to say that kiwifruit could save people from Sars.