Could Adding Eggs to Your Salad Improve Nutrient Absorption?
Adding scrambled eggs to salads containing a variety of raw vegetables aids in the absorption of carotenoids, nutrients that reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, according to new research.
“Dietary lipids are one of the most effective stimulators of carotenoid absorption, but very limited data exist on the impact of endogenous food sources of lipids to enhance carotenoid absorption,” researchers explained.
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In order to test the effects of co-consuming lipid-rich egg yolk with carotenoid-rich mixed vegetables on nutrient absorption, researchers conducted a study of 16 healthy men.
The men were instructed to consume a mixed-vegetable salad (control), a salad topped with 1.5 eggs, and a salad with 3 eggs on 3 separate occasions, after which, researchers drew blood hourly for 10 hours.
Overall, carotenoid absorption was 3 to 8 times higher when the men consumed 3 eggs with their salad than when they consumed no eggs.
Researchers noted that, while only scrambled eggs were tested, they believe that any form of cooked egg would aid carotenoid absorption as long as the yolk in consumed.
"Our research findings support that people obtained more of the health-promoting carotenoids from raw vegetables when cooked whole eggs were also consumed,” they concluded.
“Eggs, a nutrient-rich food containing essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins, may be used to increase the nutritive value of vegetables, which are under consumed by the majority of people living in the United States."
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Kim JE, Gordon SL, Ferruzzi MG, Campbell WW. Effects of egg consumption on carotenoid absorption from co-consumed, raw vegetables. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. May 2015 [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.111062.