FODMAP: ZESPRI KIWIFRUIT, GUT HEALTH AND YOU!
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Did You Know
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Health & Lifestyle
One of the best things you can do to maintain — or improve — your digestive function is eat a balanced diet. Making healthy choices and eating wisely might even be able to soothe the discomfort and pain caused by intestinal conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
An estimated one in seven adults suffer from IBS, which often produces symptoms such as gastrointestinal pain, nausea, the inability to digest foods, and a loss of appetite.
Zespri’s very own Health & Nutrition Innovation Leader, Dr. Juliet Ansell, had this to say: “Foods that are high in FODMAPs can cause stomach gas and bloating. For some, the impact of a high FODMAP diet can be much more severe.”
What is FODMAP?
The food community is abuzz with topics discussing FODMAP. But what is it? FODMAP is an acronym that describes any one of a group of compounds that are poorly absorbed during digestion.
Fermentable
Oligo-</>
Di-
Mono-saccharides
And
Polyol.
That’s quite a mouthful — literally! — which is why we stick with the generally accepted term, FODMAP!
These compounds are believed to contribute to the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and similar gastrointestinal disorders. These compounds tend to be mostly carbs. Common high-FODMAP foods include milk, apples, broccoli, wheat breads, cereals, ripe bananas, pasta, avocados, pears, stone fruits, and mushrooms, among many more.
While poor absorption of these types of carbohydrates is common to everyone, most people don’t suffer significant IBS-like symptoms. But if you do, consult with your family doctor and see if a low-FODMAP diet is right for you.
Kiwifruit and Strawberry: Nutritional Comparison
A kiwifruit and strawberry not only have complementary flavors, they also have similar nutritional value. Both are packed with life-enhancing vitamins and antioxidants.
On the surface, they seem evenly matched. But let’s look deeper!
When we compare a serving size* of Zespri Kiwifruit to a serving size* of strawberries, you’ll see just how similar they are in nutritional value^. But you’ll also see quite a few differences:
• Vitamin C: SunGold Kiwifruit delivers nearly 3.5 times as much vitamin C than strawberries (338% of the recommended daily value† vs 96%)
• Vitamin E: Zespri Green and SunGold Kiwifruit contains around 15% recommended daily value of Vitamin E; meanwhile, the vitamin E content in strawberries is 3%.
• Potassium – SunGold: 596 mg (13%) – Green: 600mg (13%) – Strawberries: 225 mg (5%)
*1 serving size of kiwifruit is 200g and 1 serving size of strawberries is 147g
^ Strawberries nutritional data taken from USDA Nutritional Database
† Daily Value, as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Kiwifruit Officially Joins the Low FODMAP Food List
Lead by Dr. Ansell, Zespri® invited the leading researchers at Australia’s Monash University to analyze our kiwifruit for certification as a low FODMAP food. This certification rating is very similar to a heart foundation tick, or the low GI icon — both industry standards.
The result was overwhelmingly positive! Our green and gold kiwi variants were certified as low FODMAP — another great rating for Zespri® Kiwifruit and perfect choice for anyone looking for healthier snack choices.
Whereas fruits such as apples, ripe bananas, cherries, pears and watermelon are considered high FODMAP foods, kiwifruit is a great option for a healthy snack that delivers great nutritional value without the digestive discomfort.
Kiwifruit: Great for a Low-FODMAP Diet
When we talk about a low-FODMAP diet, we’re referring to a dietary management approach to control symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by eating foods low in those compounds.
Zespri® Kiwifruit is a perfect, healthy addition to any low-FODMAP diet. Low in calories, kiwifruit not only delivers nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C, K, E to the body, but they are chock-full full of prebiotics — food that nourishes the good gut bacteria in our digestive tract.
