Healthy volunteers needed for healthy digestion and kiwifruit study

Simone from Addington

A research team at the University of Otago Christchurch are looking for volunteers interested to be part of a study into digestion and constipation. Get in touch with the research team for more information if you:
- are aged between 18 and 65 years old;
- currently live in Christchurch; and
- are healthy and have no issues with your puku (gastrointestinal health).

This research aims to test a new approach for the treatment of gastrointestinal issues with kai (food). The researchers are looking at different aspects of your everyday life and how they affect your puku (tummy) as well as treatment outcomes over time.
The research team are looking to recruit whānau (people) who have no tummy symptoms at all as well as people who have constipation and constipation-predominant IBS to be part of this feasibility trial.
This research is very important as there is very little knowledge about how kai (food) affects constipation and constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-C).

This study involves:
- filling out questionnaires about your current health and quality of life;
- keeping food and symptoms diaries;
- eating kiwifruit and psyllium; and
- collecting some samples (blood, urine, faeces and breath) at multiple times over the course of 16 weeks.

There will be also be five15-minute meetings with the research team at 40 Stewart Street during the study, after an initial meeting of 30 minutes.

Your mahi (help) will be rewarded with a $20 petrol voucher for the initial meeting, and additional $50 vouchers for each meeting if you decide to participate.

Contact the COMFORT-PSYKI Research team if you are interested or for more details at comfortcohort@gmail.com