Is Kiwifruit the Sleep Superfood?

New research is set to reveal why Kiwifruit helps you snooze.

A study led by Riddet Institute at Massey University, New Zealand, is investigating the sleep promoting properties of kiwifruit for the first time, on the back of research suggesting it improves your slumber.

“There’s some evidence from scientific studies that kiwifruit promotes sleep but how it does that we really don’t know,” explains lead researcher and PhD scholar  Alexander Kanon. “We’re going to find out the mechanism by looking closely at the effect of kiwifruit on protein breakdown and gut bacteria in the digestive tract and the subsequent impact on neurochemicals responsible for sleep.”

The institute will be launching a randomised controlled trial in which participants undergo sleep assessment, mood and cognitive tests after consuming the fruit.

Inadequate sleep, of either duration or quality, and its daytime consequences are very common in Australian and New Zealand adults, affecting more than a third of adults. “Impaired sleep impacts other aspects of daily activity, including a person’s ability to work effectively and their overall mood,” the researcher says. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could determine if fresh or dried kiwifruit could improve sleep?”

The research will be presented at Sleep DownUnder 2019, the annual conference of the Australasian Sleep Association, held October 17-19 at the International Convention Centre, Sydney.