Kiwifruit - the Wonder Fruit

Rejoice! Patients of IBS, constipation and indigestion - here is good news for all of you. The kiwifruit is here to take care of all your digestive dysfunction problems.

This fruit is a panacea for also those on chemotherapy, and sufferers of all forms of gastroenterological problems.

What is Digestive Dysfunction?
Digestive dysfunction is a condition wherein the work of an essential enzyme present in the stomach, pepsin, reduces substantially. Our body, it is believed, has a few friendly bacteria like acidophilus and bifodus who play a vital role in the process of digestion.

When their number is reduced due to continuous or over consumption of food containing preservatives, antibiotics and poor diet, production of pepsin is greatly affected. This results in the stomach passing indigested or semi digested foods.

What can Indigestion Lead to?
The process of processing and metabolizing nutrients and energy from food is called digestion. In simpler terms, digestion is the process of absorbing nutrients from the food and passing them on to the other parts of the body so as to energize it. Poor digestion can therefore lead to a multitude of problems ranging from simple tiredness to nutrient deficiency. Many studies conducted in New Zealand indicate that high levels of undigested protein is a major cause of bowel cancerdefine

What are its Symptoms?
The symptoms of digestive dysfunction can range from acidity, heartburn and gastricdefine reflux, to feeling bloated and constipated.

How is Kiwifruit the Answer?
Kiwifruit has about 68 percent of alpha linolenic acid. In other words, it has a very high level of actinidin, a protease enzyme that is known to behave in the same way as the natural enzyme, pepsin, present in the stomach. Kiwifruit is also a rich source of naturally occurring vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium and essential fatty acids, all of which facilitate and ease the process of digestion.

Are there any Drawbacks?
Here is the best part; consumption of kiwifruit and kiwifruit extracts has no drawbacks whatsoever. Rather than dealing with the symptoms alone, kiwi extracts attack the very cause of the problem which is Indigestion.

At this stage one may ask as to why not simply consume the other probiotics and yogurts instead? They have been recommended by our grannies and are widely accepted as the best home remedies. Well, kiwifruit extracts are known to directly solve the problem by providing pepsin like enzyme that is capable of digesting foods. While yogurts and the probiotics produce acidophilus and bifodus, the two friendly bacteria, which then produce pepsin and solve the problem, this may take a long time. Whereas kiwi extracts solve the crisis quickly by removing the intermediaries.

Is that all Kiwifruit has to Offer?
No, kiwifruit is indeed a wonder fruit, for not just the fruit’s pulp but also its seed extract, which has tremendous functional applications.

The kiwifruit seed oil is perfectly suited for manufacturing skin and hair care products as the high concentration of alpha linolelic acid (ALA) found in it assists in maintaining moisture in hair as well as skin and prevents their drying and scaling.

It also assists the process of regeneration of damaged skin cells and repair of damaged tissues. This property has made it a classic anti-aging product and an imperative dermatitis formulation ingredient. Probably, herein lies the secret of Cleopatra’s glowing skin and long, lustrous hair.

Wait a minute; if you thought that was it from kiwifruit, you are highly mistaken. The kiwi seed oil is an ideal example of a truly functional food, providing a natural source of energy. It is exactly what your body needs to help emulsify and absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K. This facilitates the resilience and lubrication of all body cells. Guess the Aussies and Kiwis have quite a few wonders up their sleeves!