Did you know that deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals can impair the immune system and lead to illness? Likewise, this means that when we are sick, consuming these vitamins and minerals helps our body to fight off infection. Today, we are going to look at the benefits of kiwi for the common cold.
A study was done in New Zealand where both elderly people and preschoolers were placed into two groups. The reason the study was conducted on older individuals and children is because they tend to be more susceptible to respiratory infections.
In the study, there were two groups: the banana group and the kiwi group. The members of the banana group were instructed to eat two bananas a day for a month. The members of the kiwis group were instructed to eat four kiwis a day for a month. After one full month, the groups swapped. So the banana group switched to kiwis and vice versa. This continued for another month.
What they discovered while executing this study was quite remarkable. Those that got sick while eating kiwis had “significantly reduced severity and duration of head congestion, and the duration of sore throat. In fact, on average, the sick banana eaters suffered for five days with a sore throat and congestion, compared to the kiwifruit eaters, who felt better after just a day or two.”
While this study suggests that kiwi consumption may be beneficial to daily health, many people are allergic to the fruit (about 1 in 150 children.) In fact, kiwis are ranked as the #3 common food allergies after milk and eggs. In the end, for those that of us that are able, it appears it would be wise to stock up on kiwis, especially for the winter months ahead!