You’re backed up again. You’ve tried the water, the extra fiber, the walking. And now you’ve heard that kiwi helps you poop, and you want to know if that’s real or just another wellness rumor.
Written by: Sarah Kay Hoffman, gut health journalist and author of A Gutsy Girl’s Bible. Founder of A Gutsy Girl and Gut Healing Supplements.
Experience: Healed from recurring SIBO and IBS. Researching and writing about women’s gut health since 2009.
Last updated:
July 4, 2026Sources: This article cites 4 primary sources, including the American Journal of Gastroenterology and the British Dietetic Association’s dietary guidelines. All citations are linked in-text.
Note: This article is educational and does not replace working with your own doctor.
It’s real. And the research behind it has gotten a lot stronger since I first wrote about this.
Two green kiwifruit a day is one of the most studied food fixes for constipation we have. Here’s what the studies found, how many to eat, and who should skip it.
Does kiwi help constipation?
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Yes, for most people with chronic constipation, and there’s good human evidence for it.
In a 2021 trial out of the University of Michigan, researchers gave patients with chronic constipation either 2 green kiwifruit, prunes, or psyllium every day. All three improved bowel movements. The kiwi group reported the highest satisfaction and the fewest complaints of bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. 1
A larger 2023 study ran the test across three countries in people with functional constipation and with IBS-C. Eating 2 green kiwifruit a day raised the number of complete bowel movements by about 1.5 per week and improved overall gut comfort, with no significant side effects.2
That’s the part I care about most for my readers. Plenty of things move your bowels. Kiwi does it while causing less bloating, which matters a lot if you’re someone who already feels puffy by noon.
Green, gold, or kiwi berry: which one was studied?
Green kiwifruit. That’s the common fuzzy-skinned one you already picture.
The trials above all used green kiwifruit, so that’s the one with the strongest evidence for constipation. Gold kiwi (smooth skin, sweeter, less tart) has some supporting research too, but less of it. Kiwi berries, the grape-sized ones with no fuzzy peel, haven’t really been tested for this.
If you’re buying kiwi specifically to help you go, buy green. It’s also the cheapest of the three.
Why does kiwi work?
Three things are doing the work, and one of them surprised me.
Water-holding is the big one. Using MRI scans, researchers watched kiwifruit pull and hold water in the small intestine and the ascending colon, which softens stool and gives it more volume to move.3 This is likely the main reason it works, and it’s why kiwi can help even at a modest 2-fruit dose.
Fiber is the second. The seeds and flesh add both soluble and insoluble fiber, which bulks and softens stool.
Kiwifruit also contains actinidin, an enzyme that helps break down protein. It’s often named as a reason kiwi aids digestion, though the water and fiber effects have the clearer evidence behind them.4
How many kiwi a day for constipation?
Two. Two medium green kiwifruit per day is the dose used in nearly every trial, and it’s where the benefit shows up within 1 to 4 weeks.
You don’t need to eat six. More isn’t better here, and green kiwi is naturally low in FODMAPs, so 2 a day stays gentle on a sensitive gut.
Do you eat the skin?
You can, and you’ll get more fiber if you do. The fuzzy skin is edible once you wash it.
I’ll be honest with you: I don’t eat mine with the skin on, and it still works. Most people in the studies peeled theirs too and still saw results. So eat the skin if you like it, leave it if you don’t. Wash it either way.
Where kiwi fits in the bigger picture
Food-first is having a real moment in the guidelines, for once. The British Dietetic Association’s 2023 dietary guidelines for chronic constipation specifically name kiwifruit as a recommended option, and note it may be a better fit than psyllium for people who get bloated or gassy on fiber supplements.5
One thing to keep straight: the well-known 2023 AGA/ACG constipation guideline is about medications, so it doesn’t cover kiwi. When someone tells you “the guidelines recommend kiwi,” they mean the dietary ones, like the BDA. Make note of that if you ever go digging.
Who this is NOT for
Kiwi is a food, not a cure, and it isn’t right for everyone.
If you have a known kiwi or latex allergy, skip it entirely. If your constipation is new, severe, or comes with pain, bleeding, or unexplained weight loss, that’s a call-your-doctor situation, not a fruit situation. And if you have SIBO or ongoing bloating, more fruit isn’t always the answer, so pay attention to how your own body responds.
Work with your own doctor on anything persistent. Kiwi is a low-risk thing to try, but your symptoms deserve a real look.
Frequently asked questions
Two. Two medium green kiwifruit per day is the dose used in nearly every trial, and it’s where the benefit shows up within 1 to 4 weeks (Chey et al., 2021).
Usually 1 to 4 weeks of eating it daily. Some people notice a change in the first several days. Give it a full 2 weeks before you decide.
It helps. Human trials show 2 green kiwifruit a day raise the number of complete bowel movements and soften stool, mostly by holding water in the gut (Wilkinson-Smith et al., 2019).
Green has the strongest evidence, since it’s the one used in the major studies. Gold kiwi has some supporting research, just less of it.
No. The skin adds fiber if you eat it, but most study participants peeled theirs and still saw results. Wash it either way.
For IBS-C (the constipation type), yes. A 2023 study found 2 green kiwifruit a day improved bowel movements and gut comfort in people with IBS-C, with no significant side effects (Gearry et al., 2023). Green kiwi is also low in FODMAPs, so it’s gentler than many high-fiber options.
Try it and track it
Here’s my simple suggestion: eat 2 green kiwifruit a day for 2 weeks and write down what happens.
Grab your gut healing journaling SYSTEM and log the kiwi eaten and the bowel movements taken. Two weeks is enough to see if you’re one of the people this helps. If constipation keeps circling back, low stomach acid and slow motility are worth investigating next, and I walk through both here.
If you want targeted support alongside the food changes, Break Down (digestive enzyme) is the one I reach for. Use code AGUTSYGIRL at checkout to save 15%.
If you liked this article on kiwi and constipation, you might also enjoy:
- 12 Ways to Increase Stomach Motility
- Reasonable SIBO / low-FODMAP resource
- Constipation vs. Slow Motility: How to Tell the Difference [And Why It Matters]
Xox,
SKH
