Dietitian Anton Polyakov has warned certain people to avoid kiwi fruit, cautioning that the popular green fruit can cause severe adverse reactions in vulnerable individuals.
Speaking to Russian news website aif.ru, Polyakov said that anyone suffering from gastrointestinal diseases in an acute stage should immediately remove kiwi from their diet.
The specialist also urged patients with acute kidney disease and urolithiasis, the medical term for kidney stones, to steer clear of the fruit while their condition remains active.
Allergy risks and cross-reactivity
Polyakov explained that people with documented allergies to latex, avocado, hazelnut, wheat, figs or poppy seeds must also avoid eating kiwi. He said the fruit contains specific allergens capable of triggering dangerous cross-reactions in individuals with those pre-existing sensitivities.
Cross-reactivity occurs when the human immune system confuses proteins in one substance with proteins in another because of similar chemical structures. Clinical specialists recognise latex-fruit syndrome as a common example, where patients with an established allergy to natural rubber latex react to botanical foods including kiwi, bananas and avocados.
Kiwi fruit also contains high levels of organic fruit acids and actinidain, an active enzyme that breaks down proteins. These natural compounds can irritate sensitive mucosal linings during acute flare-ups of gastrointestinal illnesses such as gastritis and peptic ulcers. At the same time, patients managing kidney stone formation are frequently advised to monitor their intake of dietary oxalates and concentrated minerals.
Nutritional benefits and cancer prevention
Despite issuing his warning for specific clinical groups, Polyakov stressed that kiwi offers considerable nutritional value to the wider population. The dietitian noted that the fruit contains numerous beneficial substances, pointing specifically to high concentrations of vitamin C and potassium.
Vitamin C supports immune defence and cellular repair, while potassium helps maintain healthy blood pressure and fluid balance throughout the body. Kiwifruit, which originated in eastern Asia and was traditionally known as the Chinese gooseberry, is widely valued across international markets as a nutrient-dense fruit because of this vitamin content.
The dietary advice follows separate remarks from oncologist Anastasia Fatyanova regarding the protective health benefits of fresh fruit. Fatyanova previously explained that berries, particularly dark-coloured varieties, play a beneficial role in cancer prevention.
According to Fatyanova, dark berries neutralise unstable free radicals and help regulate inflammatory processes that can otherwise lead to cellular damage. Free radicals are reactive molecules produced during normal metabolism, while the natural antioxidant pigments in dark berries help shield healthy tissue from chronic oxidative stress.
