Kiwifruit Kicks the Common Cold

Among the most widespread illnesses in the world, the common cold is estimated to be responsible for $20 billion per year in lost worker productivity. Denise C. Hunter, from The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research (New Zealand), and colleagues enrolled 37 men and women, ages 65 years and older, who ate four gold kiwifruit each day for four weeks, then switched over to consume two bananas daily (or vice versa), with a four week intervening washout period.  During the kiwifruit phase, self-reported cold symptoms were less (as compared to the banana phase), with sore throat symptoms reducing from 5.4 to 2 days and head congestion decreasing from 4.7 to 0.9 days. As well, the severity of head congestion during the kiwifruit phase.  Observing that:  “Gold kiwifruit significantly increased plasma vitamin C, [alpha]-tocopherol and lutein/zeaxanthin concentrations, and erythrocyte folate concentrations, and significantly reduced plasma lipid peroxidation,”  the researchers submit that: “Consumption of gold kiwifruit enhanced the concentrations of several dietary plasma analytes, which may contribute to reduced duration and severity of selected [upper respiratory tract infection] symptoms, offering a novel tool for reducing the burden of [upper respiratory tract infection] in older individuals.”