The Mighty Kiwi
When it comes to healing the gut microbiome it really is incredibly unique to each and every one of us! We all have a microbiome, but the bacteria that makes up our microbiome may not contain the same bacteria and likely doesn’t. What we do know is that two super beneficial bacteria needed in the gut are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. For a variety of reasons, often times due to an overuse of antibiotics, these are lacking which is why they are recommended after a round of antibiotics. Many times your doctor might recommend eating yogurt to help restore your gut flora, or even probiotics in a capsule, both of which can be very beneficial. However, I want to share with you some cool facts I recently learned about the powerhouse of benefits found in the light green, fleshy kiwifruit!
The kiwifruit actually originated in China, eventually making its way to New Zealand in 1904 where it was later cultivated. In 1959, the kiwifruit found its way to the United States where it is now grown in California.
So why eat kiwifruit if you are trying to heal your gut?
According to William W. Li, MD in Eat to Beat Disease ,
“Researchers from the National University of Singapore conducted a study to examine the effect of kiwifruit on the gut microbiome. They fed six female volunteers the equivalent of two kiwifruits a day for four days (total 8 fruits) and looked at changes in their fecal microbiome. The differences appeared rapidly. They found that the presence of Lactobacillus was increased by 35% within twenty-four hours of eating kiwi. Another bacteria, Bifidobacteria, increased gradually by 17 percent over four days in most (83 percent) of the subjects. Both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria are considered beneficial gut bacteria that produce SCFAs (short-chain-fatty acids), which help lower inflammation. The SCFAs help to maintain the integrity of the gut lining to prevent digested food from leaking out, and they improve glucose and lipid metabolism.”*
In addition to aiding the gut by increasing and restoring balance amongst beneficial gut bacteria, and assisting with helping to coat the membrane of the gut (gut lining) which lends to what is commonly referred to as ‘leaky gut’, the kiwifruit:
Has more potassium than a banana
More Vitamin C than an orange
More Vitamin E & K than an avocado
Contains chlorogenic acid and quinic acid that have antioxidant effects in the body*
Researchers at Rowett Research Institute in Scotland found that eating kiwifruit reduces DNA damage by approximately 60%*
Kiwi was not a fruit I was typically buying on a regular basis. It used to be I would buy them and I found they would sit on my counter until they were no long edible, going totally wasted! To think I wasted this mighty fruit is unthinkable now, well any food that goes wasted is really a travesty, but to think I threw out all the goodness this fruit had to offer is a shame! Hence they had not been on my grocery list in awhile, but upon learning of their health benefits, they are now a staple on my list!
*Li, William W. MD; Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself
