Two Foods You Already Know | A Closer Look at Actazin and Cultavit

From green kiwifruit to buckwheat: the story behind Actazin® and Cultavit®

Caffeine and sugar remain familiar parts of the Australian diet, but there is growing interest in looking beyond sweetness and stimulation and understanding what different ingredients can contribute to everyday nutrition. Australian adults consumed an average of 186 mg of caffeine per day in 2023, while one in five adults reported consuming a sugar-sweetened beverage (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2026).

At the same time, our understanding of nutrition is becoming increasingly connected. The gut-brain connection highlights the complex two-way communication between the digestive system and the brain through neural, hormonal, immune and metabolic pathways (Zheng et al., 2023; Jiao et al., 2023). It is a reminder that nutrition is not simply about what makes food taste good or provides a quick lift, but also about the nutrients and naturally occurring compounds found within the foods we consume, and sometimes, the most interesting ingredients are hiding in plain sight.

Actazin® starts with New Zealand green kiwifruit, bringing together fibre and naturally occurring compounds including actinidin. Cultavit® takes a very different path, using certified organic buckwheat as the foundation for a spectrum of B vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12.

Two very different ingredients. Two very different origins. And two interesting stories about what can sit behind an ingredient name.

Actazin®: more than just kiwi

New Zealand green kiwifruit has a distinctive nutritional profile, containing fibre, water and naturally occurring plant compounds, including the proteolytic enzyme actinidin. Research into kiwifruit has explored the different ways these components may interact within the digestive tract (Richardson et al., 2018).

Fibre is particularly interesting because it is an important part of a healthy diet and is essential for normal gut function. Yet Australian research suggests that many people are not getting enough. Analysis of Australia's national nutrition survey found that only 28.2% of adults met the Adequate Intake for dietary fibre, while fewer than one in five reached the higher suggested dietary target (Fayet-Moore et al., 2018).

Similarly, bowel regularity is not quite as simple as having a bowel movement every day. Australian health guidance notes that normal bowel frequency can vary considerably between individuals, from around three times a day to once every three days (Healthdirect, 2026). At the same time, a national Australian survey found that 24% of adults met the criteria for chronic constipation, highlighting just how relevant normal bowel function is to everyday health (Werth et al., 2019).

This makes green kiwifruit an interesting food to look at.

One of its distinctive components is actinidin, a naturally occurring enzyme found particularly in green kiwifruit. Research has shown that actinidin can enhance the digestion of a range of dietary proteins, including those found in meat, dairy, cereals and soy (Kaur et al., 2010). This leads us to our first hero ingredient Actazin®, a concentrated green kiwifruit ingredient that has itself been investigated in human research.

In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers examined daily intakes of 600 mg and 2,400 mg of Actazin®. The 600 mg dose was associated with a significant increase in bowel movements among participants classified as responders, while the higher dose produced a significant increase in average daily bowel movements across the study group. This highlighted that the 600 mg dose was sufficient to produce a measurable result (Ansell et al., 2015).

Why Cultavit® is a little different

Then there's Cultavit®, a B-complex ingredient with an unexpectedly natural origin. Made from certified organic buckwheat, Cultavit® provides vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12 within a buckwheat matrix (Eurochem GmbH, n.d.).

Buckwheat itself has a much longer history than its recent popularity might suggest. It is considered one of the world's ancient, domesticated crops and has been cultivated and consumed across parts of Asia and Europe for centuries. Its relatively short growing period and ability to grow under challenging conditions helped establish it as a useful food crop in a variety of environments (Hunt et al., 2019; Zamaratskaia et al., 2024).

Cultavit® takes this familiar food crop in a different direction. Its production process uses controlled biological growth and seeding processes to concentrate selected nutrients within the buckwheat matrix, retaining buckwheat as the foundation of the ingredient (Eurochem GmbH, n.d.).

Australia's latest national nutrient-intake data show that inadequate dietary intakes remain an issue for several B vitamins. In 2023, 15.5% of Australians aged two years and over had an inadequate dietary intake of thiamin (B1), 19.7% had an inadequate intake of riboflavin (B2), and 46.7% had an inadequate intake of vitamin B6 from food and beverages (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2026), providing an interesting snapshot of B-vitamin intake in the Australian population.

Each B vitamin has its own role, but together they contribute to important everyday processes including energy metabolism, nervous-system and psychological function, with several also contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue (Healthdirect, 2026; Tardy et al., 2020).

Here's a closer look at what each B vitamin in Cultavit® contributes to normal nutrition:

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine) contributes to normal energy production, carbohydrate metabolism and normal neurological function.
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) contributes to normal energy release from food, normal nervous-system function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Vitamin B3 (niacin) contributes to normal neurological and psychological function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) contributes to normal mental performance and energy production, as well as the normal synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones, vitamin D and some neurotransmitters.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to normal energy metabolism, nervous-system and psychological function, immune-system function and the regulation of hormonal activity.
• Vitamin B12 contributes to normal neurological function, energy metabolism, psychological and immune-system function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

B vitamins are not stimulants in the traditional sense but rather are involved as part of the body's normal biochemical processes, including the conversion and utilisation of nutrients and energy metabolism (Tardy et al., 2020). In a 28-day study of healthy adults, a B-complex containing vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12 was associated with improvements in measures of fatigue compared with placebo (Lee et al., 2023), showing the varied functions of B vitamins in normal physiological processes.

Two ingredients. Different origins, intriguing potential.

Actazin® brings together the fibre and naturally occurring compounds of green kiwifruit, including actinidin, with recent research supporting its role in normal bowel function and bowel regularity.

Cultavit® provides a spectrum of B vitamins from an organic buckwheat-based ingredient, contributing to normal energy metabolism, nervous-system and psychological function, with several B vitamins also contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Different ingredients, different nutritional roles. But both offer a new twist on familiar foods, showing how traditional ingredients can take on a fresh role in modern nutrition.

About the Author | 📑

Hi, my name is Sandra. I am a naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist from the Sunshine Coast and am a Senior Consultant at Natural Product Centre.

I graduated 30 years ago and have worked in the health and wellness industry ever since. On a professional basis, I love being involved in the development of natural supplements, research and health writing and hope to make a positive difference to the wellbeing of all the consumers and readers I reach, directly and indirectly.

My hobbies include travelling, exploring new places and art galleries and creating my own art. I also love nothing more than spend time in nature and be surrounded by the beautiful local flora and fauna of the coast.

References

1. Ansell, J., McDonald, J. A. K., & Evans, C. (2015). The effect of Actazin® green kiwifruit powder on bowel function in healthy adults: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 24(4), 659–666.
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Australian Health Survey / National Health Survey: Dietary intake and caffeine and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption data. Australian Government.
3. Eurochem GmbH. (n.d.). Cultavit®: Organic buckwheat-based vitamin and mineral ingredient. Eurochem GmbH.
4. Fayet-Moore, F., Cassettari, T., & McConnell, A. (2018). Australian adults are not meeting the recommended dietary fibre intake: A systematic analysis of the 2011–2013 Australian Health Survey. Nutrition Research, 57, 44–54.
5. Healthdirect Australia. (2026). Constipation. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
6. Hunt, H. V., Vander Linden, M., Liu, X., Motuzaite-Matuzeviciute, G., Colledge, S., & Jones, M. K. (2019). Millets across Eurasia: Regional diversity and the evolution of domesticated buckwheat and other ancient crops. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 28, 1–15.
7. Jiao, X., Li, H., et al. (2023). The gut–brain axis: Mechanisms and implications for human health.
8. Kaur, L., Rutherfurd, S. M., Moughan, P. J., Drummond, L., & Boland, M. J. (2010). Actinidin enhances gastric and small-intestinal protein digestion as assessed using in vitro digestion models. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58(8), 5068–5073.
9. Kaur, L., Rutherfurd, S. M., Moughan, P. J., Drummond, L., & Boland, M. J. (2020). Green kiwifruit containing actinidin influences dietary protein digestion and subsequent protein metabolism in older adults. Nutrients.
10. Lee, J. H., et al. (2023). Effects of B-vitamin supplementation on fatigue and exercise-related outcomes in healthy adults: A randomised controlled trial.
11. Richardson, D. P., Ansell, J., & Drummond, L. N. (2018). The nutritional and health attributes of kiwifruit: A review. European Journal of Nutrition, 57, 2659–2676.
12. Tardy, A.-L., Pouteau, E., Marquez, D., Yilmaz, C., & Boirie, Y. (2020). Vitamins and minerals for energy, fatigue and cognition: A narrative review. Nutrients, 12(1), 228.
13. Werth, B. L., Williams, K. A., Fisher, M. J., & Pont, L. G. (2019). Chronic constipation in the Australian population: Prevalence and associated factors. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 34, 125–132.
14. Zamaratskaia, G., et al. (2024). Buckwheat as an ancient crop and a contemporary source of nutrients and bioactive compounds.
15. Zheng, Y., et al. (2023). The gut–brain axis: Mechanisms, implications and therapeutic perspectives.