Kiwifruit

Actinidia deliciosa · Kiwifruit powder · Green kiwifruit · Actazin

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Chronic constipation^{1, 2} Irritable bowel with constipation^{3, 4} Chronic constipation in adults^{1, 5, 6} Low vitamin C status^{7, 8} Mood and vitality⁹ Postprandial glycaemic response¹⁰	Kiwifruit allergy¹¹ Birch pollen-related allergy^{12, 13} Pregnancy or nursing¹⁴

Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is a vitamin C-rich fruit taken whole or as powdered extract, including the green kiwifruit extract Actazin. It increases water retention in the small bowel and ascending colon, which underlies its laxative effect¹⁵. People take it mainly for constipation, with benefit reported in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and in older adults.

For constipation, British Dietetic Association guidelines include recommendations on kiwifruit foods and supplements, based on meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials in adults^{2, 16}. Capsule extracts fare less well: a supplement meta-analysis found no effect on stool frequency or consistency, and a review rated certainty low. About 25 products list kiwifruit, mostly capsules and tablets in multi-ingredient formulas; see Form comparison.

The main caution is allergy: kiwifruit reactions range from oral symptoms to anaphylaxis. Per US product labeling, some products are not for use in pregnancy or lactation¹⁴.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

51 sources, 45 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources