Kiwifruit may help with sleep

Sleep is something we are frequently asked about in primary care.

One interesting study¹, albeit dated, used a cohort of patients with self-reported sleep problems. Participants consumed two medium-sized kiwifruit one hour before bedtime for four weeks and tracked activity using actigraphy and sleep diaries.

There was an association with improvements in sleep quality, sleep onset latency, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency.

The proposed mechanism includes the presence of melatonin, serotonin precursors, and antioxidants in kiwifruit, which may influence circadian rhythm and sleep architecture.

Reference:

1. Effect of kiwifruit consumption on sleep quality in adults with sleep problems Asia Pac J Clin Nutr (2011)

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