Insights & Discussion
Consuming green kiwifruits is associated with a clinically relevant increase of ≥ 1.5 complete spontaneous bowel movements per week in those experiencing constipation.
Participants included healthy controls (n = 63), patients with functional constipation (FC, n = 60), and patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C, n = 61) randomly assigned to consume 2 green kiwifruits or psyllium (7.5 g) per day for 4 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout, and then the other treatment for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the number of complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBM) per week. Secondary outcomes included GI comfort which was measured using the GI symptom rating scale, a validated instrument. Data (intent-to-treat) were analyzed as difference from baseline using repeated measures analysis of variance suitable for AB/BA crossover design.
Consumption of green kiwifruit was associated with a clinically relevant increase of ≥ 1.5 CSBM per week (FC; 1.53, P < 0.0001, IBS-C; 1.73, P = 0.0003) and significantly improved measures of GI comfort (GI symptom rating scale total score) in constipated participants (FC, P < 0.0001; IBS-C, P < 0.0001). No significant adverse events were observed.
Discover Related Insights
Fruits, especially kiwifruits, and rye bread can enhance bowel movements and help manage chronic constipation better than conventional dietary methods.
2023 Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics Systematic review and meta‐analysis: Foods, drinks and diets and their effect on chronic constipation in adults Van Der Schoot A, Katsirma Z, Whelan K, Dimidi E
Review Article Constipation Fruits Kiwifruit
An exhaustive analysis was conducted incorporating a multitude of studies, including randomized controlled trials and uncontrolled trials, identified through electronic databases till 12th July 2023. The effect of various foods, drinks, and diets on characteristics such as stool output, gut transit time, symptoms, quality of life, adverse events, and compliance in adults with chronic constipation was inspected. The study also examined the response to different treatments and included a variety of foods such as kiwifruit, high-mineral water, prunes, rye bread, mango, fig, cereal, oat bran, yoghurt, water supplementation, prune juice, and high-fibre or no-fibre diets.
The synthesized data revealed that the consumption of fruits, particularly kiwifruits, and rye bread led to a higher stool frequency when compared to standard treatments like psyllium or white bread. High-mineral water also proved more effective regarding response to treatment than low-mineral water. On the other hand, no distinctive difference was identified for prunes when set against psyllium as a treatment option. Overall, the study insightfully suggests dietary modifications as a means to manage chronic constipation, emphasizing the potential of fruits such as kiwifruits and rye bread.
Two gold kiwifruit daily are as effective as fiber-matched psyllium in treating constipation in adults and should be considered as a treatment option.
2022 Nutrients Two Gold Kiwifruit Daily for Effective Treatment of Constipation in Adults—A Randomized Clinical Trial Bayer SB, Heenan P, Frampton C, Wall CL, Drummond LN, Roy NC, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Constipation Gold Kiwifruit Kiwifruit
This study provided evidence that habitual consumption of two gold kiwifruit daily, a realistic standard serving of fruit, is at least as effective as fiber-matched psyllium in lieu of placebo in treating constipation in adults, with fewer side effects, and offers greater ease of defecation through the improvement of stool consistency and reduction of straining.
Eating whole SunGold kiwifruits, both with and without skin, can significantly decrease gut inflammation and alleviate constipation for both healthy people and those with irritable bowel syndrome.
2020 Nutrients The Effects on Immune Function and Digestive Health of Consuming the Skin and Flesh of Zespri® SunGold Kiwifruit (Actinidia Chinensis var. Chinensis ‘Zesy002’) in Healthy and IBS-Constipated Individuals Eady SL, Wallace AJ, Hedderley DI, Bentley-Hewitt KL, Butts CA
Randomised Controlled Trial Constipation Irritable Bowel Syndrome Kiwifruit
In the 16-week cross-over study, 38 participants (both healthy and those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Constipation) were randomly assigned to consume either three whole SunGold kiwifruits without the skin or three whole kiwifruits with the skin for periods of four weeks, with a length of four weeks between each intervention as a washout period.
Following the intervention, it was observed that there was a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines (specifically TNF-α) for both the healthy participants and those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Constipation when whole kiwifruits, including the skin, were consumed. Furthermore, similar results were witnessed for the healthy individuals upon consumption of whole kiwifruits without their skin. The consumption of kiwifruit – including its skin – also increased bowel frequency and led to significant reductions in the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale for constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome-related pain scores for both participant groups. Results indicate that the skin of the SunGold kiwifruit may have beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health that are not derived from merely consuming the fruit's flesh.
Daily consumption of three gold-fleshed kiwifruit is associated with a significant increase of two complete spontaneous bowel movements per week and reduction in gastrointestinal discomfort in mildly constipated adults.
2019 Journal of Nutritional Science The effect of ‘Zesy002’ kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensisvar.chinensis) on gut health function: a randomised cross-over clinical trial Eady SL, Wallace AJ, Butts CA, Hedderley D, Drummond L, Ansell J, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Constipation Kiwifruit
This randomised, controlled study demonstrated that consumption of three A. chinensis var. chinensis ‘Zesy002’ (Zespri® SunGold kiwifruit) daily in mildly constipated individuals resulted in a significant increase in two CSBM per week when compared with baseline and the dietary fibre supplement Metamucil®. It also reduced gastrointestinal discomfort by improving symptoms of indigestion, constipation and abdominal pain when compared with baseline and significantly improved indigestion when compared with Metamucil®. ‘Zesy002’ were also well tolerated, efficacious and safe.
This is the first study assessing the impact of ‘Zesy002’ on stool frequency and gastrointestinal discomfort, and the results suggest that SunGold kiwifruit has some potential as a possible alternative therapy for constipation. Further studies in this area are required to replicate these findings in other populations and to ascertain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of action that may be driving these results. These will help to confirm and grow the evidence for ‘Zesy002’ kiwifruit as a whole food which can be incorporated into the daily diet as a treatment for improving symptoms in mildly constipated individuals.
Gold kiwifruit supplementation increases the abundance of the beneficial gut bacterium Faecalibacterium, which could potentially enhance gut microbiota composition and reduce inflammation.
2017 Journal of Nutritional Science Consumption of kiwifruit capsules increases Faecalibacterium prausnitzii abundance in functionally constipated individuals: a randomised controlled human trial Blatchford P, Stoklosinski H, Eady S, Wallace A, Butts C, Gearry R, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Constipation Gut Microbiota Kiwifruit
This research was conducted on two groups of participants: one healthy and the other suffering from Functional Constipation (FC). The groups, one containing 20 individuals (one of whom did not complete the study) and the other 9, were given ACTAZIN™ green (in doses of 2400mg and 600mg) and Livaux™ (2400 mg) gold kiwifruit supplements, as well as a placebo in the form of isomalt. The study design was a randomized cross-over structure carried out over 4 weeks, with 2 weeks washout periods between each stage. Changes in faecal microbiota composition and metabolism were assessed using 16S RNA gene sequencing and Gas Chromatography (GC), and colonic pH was measured via SmartPill wireless motility capsules.
The baseline measurements showed that the composition of the faecal microbiota differed significantly between the two groups, with certain bacterial taxa such as Bacteroidales markedly more abundant in the healthy group, while others, including Ruminococcaceae, were more prevalent in the FC group. The clearest change affected by the nutrient supplementation was an increase in Faecalibacterium abundance in the FC group following Livaux™ supplementation, a result observed in nearly all participants in this group. As lower proportions of Faecalibacterium are often linked with gastrointestinal disorders, this increase suggests that the supplements could offer a strategy for ameliorating these conditions.
Sign In
Users not signed in are limited to viewing the 5 most recent items of content.