Insights & Discussion
Kiwifruit supplementation may be associated with direct and indirect anticancer effects, the former likely due to ascorbic acid-mediated reduction of DNA oxidative injury and cytotoxic effect on cancer cell lines.
Overall, 58 items could be retrieved, fifty of which were excluded since they did not fulfilled all our search criteria. Eight studies (five in vitro studies, two human intervention trials, and one both in vivo and in human study) were finally included in this critical literature review.
Taken together, the results of these published studies suggest that kiwifruit supplementation may be associated with direct and indirect anticancer effects, the former likely due to ascorbic acid-mediated reduction of DNA oxidative injury and cytotoxic effect on cancer cell lines, the latter more likely attributable to enhanced daily bowel movements and increased intestinal fecal content of lactic acid bacteria, which would finally contribute to lower the risk of malignancies, especially colorectal cancer.
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.
Kiwifruit polysaccharides may alleviate the toxic effects of acrylamide by improving gut health and enhancing bile acid metabolism.
2023 Frontiers in Nutrition Effects of kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis) polysaccharides on metabolites and gut microbiota of acrylamide-induced mice Chen M, Chen X, Wang K, Cai L, Liu N, Zhou D, et al.
Animal Study Bile Acid Kiwifruit
In this study, the team explored the potential protective effects of kiwifruit polysaccharides on disorders induced by acrylamide (a toxic ingredient found in high-temperature, carbohydrate-rich food) on gut microbiota and systemic metabolism. They measured changes in gut microbiota and serum metabolites in mice subjected to acrylamide-induced toxicity, focusing primarily on the effects on mice's bodily features, liver health, and liver enzyme activity.
The results revealed that treatment with kiwifruit polysaccharides not only improved the mice's overall health and liver function but also restored the balance in their gut microbiota by increasing microbial diversity and the abundance of beneficial bacteria. Furthermore, it was found that the polysaccharides had a significant impact on amino and bile acid-related metabolic pathways, proving their potential in protecting against toxicity. A strong correlation was also found between certain bacteria and the critical metabolites of bile acid metabolism, providing a deeper understanding of the protective mechanisms of kiwifruit polysaccharides.
Consumption of fresh or dried kiwifruit in the evening improves aspects of sleep quality and mood, potentially mediated through changes in serotonin metabolism.
2023 Frontiers in Nutrition Acute effects of fresh versus dried Hayward green kiwifruit on sleep quality, mood, and sleep-related urinary metabolites in healthy young men with good and poor sleep quality Kanon AP, Giezenaar C, Roy NC, McNabb WC, Henare SJ
Randomised Controlled Trial Kiwifruit Serotonin
A randomized, single-blind crossover study involving 24 men with varying sleep quality levels was conducted. Participants were provided with one of three treatments during their standard evening meal at home: the flesh of two fresh green kiwifruits, dried green kiwifruit powder (with skin and equivalent to the dry matter of two fresh kiwifruits) mixed with water, or a water control. Various factors were evaluated including subjective and objective sleep quality, mood, and urine concentration of several compounds including the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA, vitamin C, and B-vitamins.
Findings indicated that regardless of sleep quality group, dried kiwifruit consumption was associated with an improvement in morning sleepiness, alertness upon waking, and vigor as compared to the control. Both fresh and dried kiwifruit treatments suggested an improvement in self-esteem and overall mood disturbance. Increase in the urinary concentration of serotonin metabolite was observed with both kiwifruit treatments. Amongst poor sleepers, ease of awakening was notably improved after the intake of dried kiwifruit and showed signs of improvement with fresh kiwifruit. For good sleepers, there seemed to be an improvement in getting to sleep with fresh kiwifruit. Poor sleepers were found to have lower quantities of certain B-vitamins compared to good sleepers. Thus, both dried and fresh kiwifruit consumption with a standard evening meal showed a positive impact on sleep quality and mood.
Consuming carrots can significantly decrease the risk of cancer.
2023 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Carrot intake is consistently negatively associated with cancer incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies Ojobor CC, O’Brien GM, Siervo M, Ogbonnaya C, Brandt K
Meta-Analysis Carrot
The methodology used in this research involved examining the links between carrot intake and the incidence of cancer. The scope was broad, examining all studies published before June 2022 that offered risk estimates connecting cancer incidence with either carrot consumption, α-carotene intake, or α-carotene plasma levels. Possible sources of such studies included those found via digital searches, manually identified within other studies, or garnered from existing reviews. Analysis was carried out comparing the highest and lowest reported intakes from prospective studies, estimating summary relative risks using a random-effects model.
The study's results indicated a strong correlation between carrot consumption and a notable reduction in cancer risk. This conclusion was derived from the analysis of 198 observational studies, 50 of which were prospective studies involving a total of 52,000 cases that specifically recorded carrot intake. Comparatively, on the correlation between α-carotene plasma levels and cancer risk, analysis from 30 prospective studies with 9,331 cases indicated that a higher presence of α-carotene also resulted in decreased cancer risk. Despite a moderate variance between studies, these findings serve as significant evidence in support of the anticancer benefits of carrots.
Kiwifruit and kiwifruit extracts may have a positive impact on constipation in adults by increasing weekly bowel movements, reducing abdominal pain, and minimizing straining.
2022 Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Kiwifruit and Kiwifruit Extracts for Treatment of Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Eltorki M, Leong R, Ratcliffe EM
Systematic Review Kiwifruit
Kiwifruit and kiwifruit extracts show promise in increasing weekly bowel movements and reducing abdominal pain and straining in adults with constipation, although the overall evidence is of low certainty. However, kiwifruit may lead to minor adverse effects, such as bloating and flatulence, compared to placebo, indicating potential for its use as a dietary supplement in constipation management, especially in conjunction with other laxatives if necessary, but further research is needed to establish its effectiveness.
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