The research studied the glycaemic impact on people who ate kiwifruit with their breakfast, and found that people who ate kiwifruit with their breakfast saw more regulated blood sugar levels.

“It’s an interesting discovery” says Plant & Food Research Scientist, Dr John Monro. “We suspect that fibre in kiwifruit behaves differently to other commonly eaten fibres. When eaten, it swells and thickens in the stomach, which may account for the slower absorption of sugars”.

Zespri's Innovation Leader for Health and Nutrition, Dr Juliet Ansell, says that kiwifruit have long been known for being high in fibre and vitamin C, but this new finding provides additional evidence for the health promoting qualities of the fruit.

The research was conducted by Plant and Food Research and forms part of the science aligned to the High Value Nutrition National Science Challenge. It is one of the key findings being presented at a symposium on kiwifruit and health in Tauranga.