Two to three kiwis a day could keep cancer at bay by helping to repair damaged DNA, suggests a pilot study from the home of the fruit, says FoodNavigator.com.

A pilot study from New Zealand has reported a daily "prescribed" kiwifruit, in tandem with dietary advice and improved physical activity, led to a significant increase in repair of damaged DNA.

"Prescription of daily kiwifruit may provide a sustainable population intervention that could reduce some of the risk factors associated with cancer," wrote lead author Elaine Rush from AUT University in Auckland.

Studies from the same university have reported that kiwifruit have laxative effects and could help combat serious cases of constipation, even as studies from the University of Oslo have reported that two to three kiwifruit a day significantly reduced blood clotting in human volunteers and could offer protection from strokes and deep vein thrombosis.

No mechanism is proposed by the researchers but they do hint towards the antioxidant content of the fruit that could protect against the oxidising challenge of the peroxide, which in turn reduce the presence of damaged DNA and potential subsequent cancer formation.

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