Kiwi Fruit

[Joe]

I've been having some stomache problems. Alternating between constipation and diarrhea. Can't seem to get "normal." A friend recommended I try kiwi fruit. She writes:

I was reading about kiwi fruit last night--they are excellent for constipation, not only for the fruit acids but also for an enzyme that changes things in the intestinal tract. Kiwis are recommended for simple constipation AND irritable bowel syndrome, in which the periodic behavior of the intestinal motility gets out of kilter. It is recommended that folks consume 2 per day, and it may take several months to get the IBS corrected. Do you like those? They are generally fairly green, and thus hard, when they first get to the produce stand. They will ripen on the counter in your kitchen. They can be peeled with a paring knife or veggie peeler, or scooped directly out of their skins with a spoon.

Has anyone had any experience with eating kiwis as a digestive aid?

 

[silva]

I don't have those problems, but I do love kiwis, and can imagine they would be great for constipation.
I'll blend the whole fruit, well I take out the end nubs, skin and all. Sometimes with other fruits, or just matcha and water

 

[Benjamin Ehinger]

Kiwis are great and tasty. Another thing to try is warm lemon water first thing when you wake up. It has been compared to drinking coffee only far healthier.

For the long term, adding cinnamon to some of your food will aid in digestion and may help keep things normal.

 

[Mischief]

You might try some probiotics. If any of my animals is on antibiotics, I put them on probiotics for a while afterwards, since antibiotics can kill off the good bacteria in the digestive tract.

Pumpkin is also supposed to help restore balance, but you can't count on canned pumpkin actually being pumpkin - it's generally an assortment of squashes.

 

[Joe]

Kiwis are great and tasty. Another thing to try is warm lemon water first thing when you wake up. It has been compared to drinking coffee only far healthier.

For the long term, adding cinnamon to some of your food will aid in digestion and may help keep things normal.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Joe]

You might try some probiotics. If any of my animals is on antibiotics, I put them on probiotics for a while afterwards, since antibiotics can kill off the good bacteria in the digestive tract.

Pumpkin is also supposed to help restore balance, but you can't count on canned pumpkin actually being pumpkin - it's generally an assortment of squashes.

Thanks. I have a bottle of probiotics from Kroger. The thing is that it has about four different "strains" of whatever ingredients with Latin names that I do not understand. Do you have any recommendations about which "strains" I should look for?

 

[Mischief]

Thanks. I have a bottle of probiotics from Kroger. The thing is that it has about four different "strains" of whatever ingredients with Latin names that I do not understand. Do you have any recommendations about which "strains" I should look for?

I'm sorry, I don't. I order it from Amazon, and I just read the reviews giving most weight to reviews by people who use it for cats and/or dogs. My general understanding is that we have quite a few different types living in our digestive tracts, so something with more strains would give you a better chance than a probiotics with fewer strains.

 

[Joe]

Question: How does one tell when kiwi fruit are ripe?

My friend who recommended them said the one you buy in the store are green and need to be kept for a while (like sitting on the counter) before they are or become ripe.

 

[Mischief]

Question: How does one tell when kiwi fruit are ripe?

My friend who recommended them said the one you buy in the store are green and need to be kept for a while (like sitting on the counter) before they are or become ripe.

They should be ever so slightly soft. Sort of like a barely ripe peach.