Kiwis are one of the best fruits you can eat to help you fight disease, according to new research.

They beat oranges, grapefruit, mandarins, and apples in their levels of antioxidants called polyphenols.

Gold kiwi fruit came top for antioxidant content, followed by the green variety, according to the research at Teikyo University, Tokyo.

In the trial, volunteers ate three kiwis a day then their urine was then tested for the level of antioxidants.

‘Kiwi fruit may prevent the development of diseases caused by oxidative stress,’ say the researchers, who published their findings in the journal Biological And Pharmaceutical Bulletin.

Oxidative stress is damage caused by molecules that the body naturally produces.

This damage is linked to diseases including atherosclerosis, heart failure, Alzheimer’s, cancer and Parkinson’s.