Insights & Discussion
The consumption of kiwifruit with a meal can increase the rate and extent of the hydrolysis of protein.
This in vitro study has shown that in elevated gastric pH conditions, such as may present with compromised gastric function, the addition of kiwifruit protease more than doubled the rate of hydrolysis of meat protein. This novel finding supports the hypothesis that consumption of kiwifruit with a meal can increase the rate and extent of the hydrolysis of protein.
Evidence is also provided that when the added acid concentration decreased from 0.074 M to 0.022 M (HCl), pepsin activity reduced by 50% and kiwifruit activity increased by 300%.
This evidence indicates that kiwifruit may exert its influence on digestion by increasing the extent of protein digestion in the gastric medium when the secretion of pepsin and/or hydrochloric acid is less than optimal. It is reported [12] in a study of 365 healthy subjects, average fasting gastric pH was 2.16 ± 0.11 for men and 2.79 ± 0.18 for women, but in another study of 79 healthy elderly people [13], 11% of the participants recorded fasting gastric pH > 5.0 throughout the study.
Discover Related Insights
Consuming kiwifruit, particularly the green variety, can effectively alleviate upper gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal discomfort, pain, and indigestion.
2022 Advances in Nutrition Habitual Green Kiwifruit Consumption Is Associated with a Reduction in Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms: A Systematic Scoping Review Bayer SB, Frampton CM, Gearry RB, Barbara G
Review Article Irritable Bowel Syndrome Kiwifruit
The research undertook a systematic scoping review of three electronic databases from 1947 until January 2021. The team searched for clinical trials that investigated the effects of either green or gold kiwifruit or their compounds on upper gastrointestinal symptoms. They focused on the studies that had the symptom relief as secondary outcomes in healthy participants or those with functional constipation or irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. The outcomes were analyzed based on the type of measurement tools used; one being the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and the others being non-GSRS methods.
The analysis unveiled that out of the identified 12 clinical trials, with a total of 661 participants, only five used the GSRS to assess symptom relief. Green kiwifruit showed notable results in reducing abdominal discomfort and pain. Kiwifruit consumption, in general, appeared to diminish indigestion. While the number of studies reporting on symptom relief using a comparable measurement was limited, the evidence for kiwifruit's positive efficacy on gastrointestinal symptom relief remained consistent.