MANILA, Philippines ? A tiny little kiwifruit is packed with so much vitamins and nutrients it is practically nature?s answer to health.

Now, New Zealand?s most famous product is readily available in the Philippines. Who needs vitamins in capsule form when you can have it the natural way? Here?s a rundown on how loaded this ?wonder fruit? really is:

Vitamin C?Kiwi has almost two times the Vitamin C found in oranges. We all know how essential Vitamin C is in fighting viruses. It is also a very powerful antioxidant.

Vitamin E?Fights free radicals and helps build healthy skin tissue. It also helps in lowering cholesterol.

Potassium?Kiwi contains as much potassium as bananas.

Folate?The only other natural sources are peaches. The fresh ones are not available here, yet it takes four peaches to give you the amount of folate found in one kiwi. Folate keeps the skin and blood cells healthy and is also a must for women who are expecting or planning to start a family.

Fiber?Kiwi is a fiber-rich food and helps maintain blood-sugar levels. Kiwi has the fiber content equivalent to a bowl of breakfast cereal or three sticks of celery.

Lutien?Kiwi contains the highest concentration of lutien in fruits, which improves eyesight and decreases the possibility of vision loss due to aging.

What?s even better is that kiwi is even low in calories.

So it?s two kiwifruits for breakfast now. To get all those nutrients, I?d have to eat two oranges, one banana, a bowl of cereal or three sticks of celery. I?d rather have a delicious kiwi.

Zespri? Kiwifruit is now available at local supermarkets, and comes in two varieties. The green variety is the most popular. It has light brown, fuzzy skin and emerald-green flesh. The gold variety has smooth brown skin, and its flesh is yellow, smooth and sweet.

Here?s a recipe from Zespri?, which you can make at home.

Kiwifruit Drop

(Recipe courtesy of www.zespri.com.)

4 Zespri? Gold Kiwifruit, peeled and chopped

1 can (12 oz) lemonade concentrate, thawed

2 c water

1 ? oz vanilla vodka, chilled

1. Purée kiwifruit in food processor until blended. Do not crush kiwifruit seeds.

2. Stir kiwifruit purée into lemonade concentrate and water in medium bowl until blended. Cover and freeze for eight hours or overnight.

3. Scrape granita into flakes with spoon.

4. Scoop 2 tbsp of Zespri? Gold Kiwifruit Lemon Sorbet into chilled martini glass. Add vodka and serve immediately.

Makes one cocktail. Preparation time is 12 minutes (plus eight hours freezing time).