If you’re up on the latest health trends, you may have heard about kiwis being able to improve sleep quality. And there’s some truth to this one. So, should you grab kiwis as your bedtime snack?
Can Kiwi Help You Sleep?
The short answer is yes!
Researchers followed elite athletes for four weeks, asking them to eat two medium-sized green kiwifruit one hour before bedtime. The athletes kept detailed sleep diaries and completed questionnaires about their sleep quality and recovery throughout the study.
The results? The athletes experienced significantly longer total sleep time, adding precious hours of restorative rest each night. This means less time tossing and turning, and more time in the deep, restorative sleep your body craves. Perhaps most impressively, participants woke up less frequently during the night and spent less time awake after initially falling asleep.
But why do kiwis work so well? The secret lies in their unique nutritional profile. Kiwifruit naturally contains melatonin, the hormone that regulates your body’s sleep-wake cycle. When you eat kiwis before bed, you’re essentially giving your body an extra dose of this sleep-promoting compound right when it needs it most.
Beyond melatonin, kiwis are rich in serotonin, which helps regulate mood and sleep patterns. They also contain antioxidants and folate, both linked to better sleep quality. This combination of nutrients works synergistically to help your body transition into and maintain restful sleep.
The athletes in the study also reported feeling less stressed and better recovered from their training, which makes sense—quality sleep is when your body repairs tissue, consolidates memories, and resets stress hormones.
Other Benefits of Kiwi
While better sleep might be reason enough to add kiwis to your evening routine, these nutrient-dense fruits also provide other health advantages, such as:
- Immune support: A single kiwi contains more vitamin C than an orange, giving your immune system a powerful boost to help fight off infections.
- Improved digestion: Rich in fibre and actinidin, a natural enzyme that helps break down proteins, kiwis support smoother digestion and healthy gut function.
- Better heart health: With plenty of potassium to regulate blood pressure and antioxidants to protect against cardiovascular disease, kiwis are a heart-friendly choice.
- Improved skin health: Their high vitamin C content promotes collagen production for firm, healthy skin, while vitamin E offers extra antioxidant protection.
On top of the above and despite their natural sweetness, kiwis have a low glycaemic index, making them a smart option for keeping blood sugar levels stable. So, try it out! Add two kiwis to your nighttime routine; do you notice your sleep improve?
While nutrition is a powerful tool for better sleep and overall health, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Your Finsbury Chiropractor can further support your whole-body health by ensuring your spine and nervous system function as they should. Schedule your FREE discovery call today. BOOK NOW.