Acute effects of fresh versus dried Hayward green kiwifruit on sleep quality, mood, and sleep-related urinary metabolites in healthy young men with good and poor sleep quality.

Background And Aims: Daily kiwifruit (KF) consumption has been associated with improved sleep quality, but underlying physiological mechanisms are unknown. This study examined acute effects of fresh and dried green KF, compared with a water control, on sleep quality, mood, and urinary serotonin and melatonin metabolite concentrations.

Methods: 24 men (age: 29 ± 1 years, body mass index: 24 ± 1 kg/m) with poor ( = 12) or good ( = 12) sleep quality participated in a randomized, single-blind crossover study. One of three treatments was consumed with a standardized evening meal; (1) the flesh of two fresh green KF, (2) dried green KF powder (including skin; equivalent to dry matter of two fresh KF) mixed with water, or (3) a water control, in their own home. Subjective and objective sleep quality, mood, waking urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), vitamin C and B-vitamin concentrations were determined.

Results: Regardless of sleep quality group, compared to control, morning sleepiness, alertness upon awakening, and vigor were improved ( < 0.05) after dried KF consumption. Compared to control, both fresh and dried KF treatments tended ( < 0.1) toward improved esteem and total mood disturbance. Both KF treatments increased (fresh +1.56 ± 0.4 ng/g, = 0.001; dried: +1.30 ± 0.4 ng/g, = 0.004) urinary concentration of the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA compared to the control (4.32 ± 0.4 ng/g). In poor sleepers, ease of awakening improved by 24% after dried KF consumption ( = 0.005) and tended to improve by 13% after fresh KF intake ( = 0.052) compared to the control. Good sleepers tended toward 9% improved ratings of getting to sleep with fresh KF ( = 0.053) compared to the control. Poor sleepers had lower amounts of some B-vitamins compared to good sleepers ( < 0.05).

Conclusion: Consumption of dried or fresh KF with a standard evening meal, was associated with improved aspects of sleep quality and mood, possibly mediated through changes in serotonin metabolism.

Clinical Trial Registration: [www.anzctr.org.au], identifier [ACTRN12621000046808]. Graphical Abstract.