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In several previous studies, kiwifruit improved symptoms in patients with chronic constipation (NEJM JW Gen Med Jul 15 2021 and Am J Gastroenterol 2021; 116:1304). For this new clinical trial, researchers in New Zealand, Italy, and Japan enrolled 60 patients with functional constipation, 61 patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C), and 63 healthy controls. In random order, each participant received a 4-week course of two peeled green kiwifruits daily and a 4-week course of psyllium (7.5 g daily), separated by a 4-week washout period; both treatments provided ≈6 g of fiber daily. The study was funded largely by a company that markets kiwifruit.
The mean number of complete spontaneous bowel movements weekly — the…