Eating kiwifruit could boost your health, according to findings from a new study by New Zealand scientists.

That's good news for kiwifruit growers and will assist Zespri in marketing the fruit as not only great tasting but also for its many health benefits.

Photo: File.

It's long been known that kiwifruit has bowel health attributes, but in this latest study, researchers looked into whether kiwifruit could be used as prebiotics - foods that are used to help recover from digestive problems by helping good bacteria thrive in the gut.

The study, carried out by Plant and Food Research, University of Otago and Zespri International Limited NZ found that while both green and gold kiwifruit boosted the number of good bacteria, the green variety was better because it boosted a wider variety of beneficial gut bacteria.

The changes were consistent, despite the variation in individual gut microbiota, and show kiwifruit components can 'induce substantive change in microbial ecology and metabolism which could have consequences for human health”.

This adds to earlier research which shows kiwifruit is excellent for keeping bowel movements regular due to fibre and actinidin - an enzyme that breaks down proteins and aids digestion.

Other trials with both green and gold kiwifruit, using university students as trialists, have shown daily consumption has a positive influence on mood, increasing the feeling of wellbeing, vigour and vitality while reducing fatigue.