If you’ve got a passion for kiwifruit, your heart may love you for it

Kiwifruit is packed with nutrients, including plenty of vitamins C and E and polyphenols; the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant compounds that have been shown to provide cardiovascular benefits. So researchers at the University of Oslo designed a test to evaluate the effect of kiwifruit on heart health.

During a 28-day trial, cholesterol, platelet activity and triglyceride levels were measured in healthy volunteers who ate two or three kiwifruits each day. Subjects who ate kiwifruit didn’t have any changes in cholesterol levels, but platelet aggregation was reduced by nearly 20 percent, and triglyceride levels were lowered by 15 percent, compared to a group that didn’t eat kiwifruits.

And an added bonus: A UK research institute recently reported that a daily intake of kiwifruit may provide protection from cancer-causing DNA damage, while also stimulating DNA repair.

Most of us who live outside of New Zealand probably don’t eat 15 to 20 kiwifruits each week. But it seems that adding this nutrient-dense item to a diet that already includes plenty of fruits and vegetables may provide a welcome boost to heart health benefits.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

“Effects of Kiwi Fruit Consumption on Platelet Aggregation and Plasma Lipids in Healthy Human Volunteers” Platelets, Vol. 15, No. 5, August 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

“Kiwis Make for Healthier Arteries” NutraIngredients.com, 9/8/04, nutraingredients.com