Actazin™ kiwifruit powder improves bowel regularity in healthy adults, study shows
Highlights
- Randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled study
- Participants include healthy (n=19) and functionally constipated (n=9) adults
- Low-dose Actazin™ (600 mg/day) for 28 days significantly increases bowel movements in healthy “responders” without digestive upset
- High-dose Actazin™ (2,400 mg/day) and another kiwifruit powder significantly increase bowel movements in healthy individuals, but also increase flatulence
Summary
This randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of Actazin™ and another kiwifruit powder (Gold) on stool frequency, stool form, and gastrointestinal comfort in healthy and functionally constipated individuals.
For this study, researchers assigned all participants to take four dietary interventions in random order: placebo, low-dose Actazin™ (600 mg/day), high-dose Actazin™ (2,400 mg/day), and Gold (2,400 mg/day). Each intervention was taken for 28 days followed by a 14-day washout period between interventions.
Participants recorded daily bowel movements and well-being parameters in daily questionnaires. A total of 20 women and men, mean age 38 years, were enrolled in the healthy cohort (n=19 completers) and 9 women and men, mean age 44 years, were enrolled in the functionally constipated cohort (9 completers).
In the entire healthy cohort, high-dose Actazin™ and Gold significantly (P<.05) increased the mean number of daily bowel movements (i.e., by more than one bowel movement per week), while low-dose Actazin™ showed a trend (P=.06) compared to washout. No significant differences were observed in stool form. Based on a subgroup analysis of responders in the healthy cohort (14/19; 74%), all kiwifruit interventions significantly (P<.05) increased mean daily bowel movements compared to washout. (Responders were defined as participants who had an increase of at least one bowel movement per week compared to the preceding washout period on at least one kiwifruit intervention.)
No significant differences were found in the functionally constipated cohort (n = 9) or in the subgroup analysis of responders (4/9; 45%). (This is likely due to the small sample size resulting in inadequate statistical power to detect significant differences.) Overall, all kiwifruit interventions were well tolerated with only high-dose (2,400 mg/day) Actazin™ reported to significantly (P<.05) increase flatulence.
These findings indicate that healthy adults may benefit from low-dose Actazin™ kiwifruit powder (600 mg/day) to help maintain bowel regularity and provide relief of occasional constipation without excess flatulence or other digestive upset.
Actazin™ is a trademark of Anagenix IP Limited.
