Gastroenterologists Say This Is the #1 Food for Your Gut Health

From reducing that bloated sensation to helping maintain bowel regularity to improving anxiety, having a healthy gut can greatly impact your overall wellbeing—which is why it’s such a hot topic to figure out the ideal foods and drinks to balance the gut microbiome. Fortunately, gastroenterologists agree that this one often-overlooked fruit can improve your gut health and potentially even lower your cancer risk.

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Doctors say kiwi can regulate your gut microbiome.

While they may not be a staple along the lines of apples and bananas, you might want to consider making these hairy, round fruits a permanent addition to your grocery list.

In a recent column in The Washington Post, Trisha Pasricha, MD, a Boston-based gastroenterologist and instructor at Harvard Medical School, explained that a “prescription” of two daily kiwis has become her go-to for patients complaining of bowel irregularity and bloating.

On the most basic level, this is largely because the tiny fruits are fiber powerhouses. A 1-cup serving of kiwi packs roughly five grams of the essential digestive aid (when they’re eaten with the skin on), per Cleveland Clinic.

Beyond that, kiwis outperform other foods when it comes to prebiotics. These are the compounds that help probiotics form, which in turn provide the optimal gut microbiome for the “good” yeasts and bacteria that promote gut health.

“The right balance of probiotics is important for many body processes, including fighting off illnesses and regulating your hormones,” registered dietitian Gillian Culbertson told Cleveland Clinic. “And we know that a balance of good bacteria can prevent digestive problems, certain infections, and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Prebiotics are important because they are a food source for these healthy bacteria.”

Gastroenterologist Joseph Salhab, MD, regularly takes to his social media accounts to tout the benefits of kiwi. In a recent TikTok video, he explained that the fruit is also surprisingly high in magnesium, a nutrient that helps to increase the amount of water in your intestines, thereby improving mobility in your GI tract.

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Studies confirm that kiwi helps with bowel regularity.

Pasricha adds that kiwis are loaded with other vital nutrients, especially when it comes to vitamin C (with 80 percent of daily intake requirements found in just one fruit), as well as vitamins E and K, and a relatively rare enzyme known as actinidin that aids in protein digestion.

But the recommendation isn’t just based on dietary information: Research confirms that kiwi can help keep your bowels moving.

Pasricha cites a 2022 study conducted by Italian, Japanese, and—in a hilarious coincidence—Kiwi (or New Zealander) scientists that considered over 180 patients who were either healthy, had been diagnosed with IBS, or suffered from constipation.

They found that participants who consumed two whole kiwis per day over a four-week period experienced a significant decrease in constipation, resulting in an increase of one or two bowel movements per week. This was more than the participants who had been instructed to take 7.5 grams of psyllium husk each day, which is another common digestive supplement.

Another meta-analysis published in 2018 highlighted the benefits of kiwifruit, crediting it for both its high nutritional value and unique digestive aid properties.

“The increased research data and growing consumer awareness of the health benefits of kiwifruit provide logical motivation for their regular consumption as part of a balanced diet. Kiwifruit should be considered as part of a natural and effective dietary strategy to tackle some of the major health and wellness concerns around the world,” the authors wrote of their findings.

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Kiwis might also lower cancer risk.

There’s also evidence that kiwis can be long-term health helpers when it comes to cancer. In a separate clinical trial cited by Pasricha that was conducted in Norway in 2011, researchers instructed volunteers to consume two gold kiwis each day.

The scientists then looked at participants’ DNA, eventually finding that their strands showed fewer breaks (which is an indicator of lowered cancer risk). At the conclusion of the four-week follow-up period, the fruit-consuming participants saw a 30 percent increase in resistance to the oxidative damage within the body that can be a precursor for dangerous cancers, per The Post.

Other studies have highlighted similar benefits, including one meta-analysis published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology in 2023. After reviewing 24 separate studies, researchers found that kiwi was one of the most beneficial fruits in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, with consumption resulting in a 13 percent decrease in the disease.

The list also included citrus fruits (nine percent), apples (25 percent), and watermelon (26 percent).

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The “kiwi breakfast” might help you hit your daily intake goals.

Fortunately, kiwis are fairly delicious on their own. But if you’re looking for more exciting ways to get your daily dose, you might want to consider the simple yet delicious “kiwi breakfast.”

In a video posted to TikTok, healthy eating influencer Emily Mariko outlines the three-ingredient meal, starting with slicing kiwis and spreading them across a plate (even though she notably removes the skin from them, which you might want to reconsider). Then, she squeezes a lime wedge over the top of them before adding a dollop of Greek yogurt (another well-known gut-friendly food) to the middle of the plate.

The takeaway:

Looking to boost your gut health? One gastroenterologist says she suggests her patients eat two kiwis every day as an effective course of action. Not only do the delicious fruits contain plenty of fiber and help promote bowel regularity, but they also are loaded with nutrients, prebiotics, and can even help lower your risk of cancer.

“Consuming a diversity of plants is always the overarching goal for a healthy microbiome, and I tell patients that kiwis can be a great addition to that approach,” Pasricha writes. “I’ve seen the benefits firsthand in my patients and even my own family.”