The results of a recent study conducted at the University of Otago, in New Zealand, indicate that eating kiwifruit can make one feel better. This is accomplished in two ways: energy is increased and mood is improved. Over a period of six weeks, 54 young and healthy university students consumed kiwis on a daily basis. The study participants were split into two groups. The men in one group ate only half a kiwifruit each day, while everyone in the other group ate two kiwis per day. The researchers concluded that those who ate two kiwis per day experienced less fatigue (due to increased energy) and less depression than the other group.
Eating two kiwis per day apparently provides an ideal amount of vitamin C, which seems to be the cause of the study’s findings. When we think about foods that are rich in vitamin C, citrus foods such as lemons and oranges usually come to mind, but kiwis are also an excellent, indeed even more plentiful vitamin C source.
Vitamin C activates certain enzymes in the body which enhance the levels of metabolic energy and different neurochemicals in the brain, according to Professor Margreet Vissers, who oversaw the research project. It is these neurological reactions that appear to be responsible for the improved energy and mood observed in the subjects.
Too much vitamin C, as with too much of anything, is not a good thing, so I do not recommend eating more than two pieces of kiwifruit per day, but two kiwis daily appears to be an optimal amount for the average person. Of course, not everyone is average and your particular diet needs may be different. If you are looking to adjust your diet in order to maximize you energy and enhance your mood, I can help. Contact me today so that I can review your lifestyle and recommend appropriate changes.
Photo credit: Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix.be
