Purdue: Adding whole eggs to a colorful salad boosts the
amount of Vitamin E the body absorbs from the vegetables, according to
research from Purdue University. "Vitamin E is the second-most under-consumed
nutrient in the average American diet, which is problematic because this
fat-soluble nutrient has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,"
said Wayne Campbell, a professor of nutrition science. "Now consumers can easily improve their diets by adding eggs to a salad that boasts a variety of colorful vegetables."
Jung Eun Kim, a postdoctoral researcher in
Purdue's Department of Nutrition Science, said, "We found Vitamin E
absorption was 4- to 7-fold higher when three whole eggs were added to a
salad. This study is novel because we measured the absorption of
Vitamin E from real foods, rather than supplements, which contain
mega-dose amounts of Vitamin E."
Vitamin E, which is absorbed along with dietary
fats, is often found in oils, seeds and nuts. Eggs, a nutrient-rich food
containing essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids and B
vitamins, also contain a small amount of Vitamin E. This study accounted
for how much total Vitamin E was absorbed when Vitamin E containing
foods were co-consumed with whole eggs. This research supports a way to
increase the absorption of Vitamin E found in foods that contain low
dietary fat. Also, this research highlights how one food can improve the
nutrition value of another food when they are consumed together.
The findings are published in The Journal of Nutrition,
and the study was supported by the American Egg Board's Egg Nutrition
Center, National Institutes of Health and Purdue Ingestive Behavior
Research Center.
This research is an extension of a study that
Campbell and Kim, along with Mario Ferruzzi, a professor at North
Carolina State University, reported in June 2015 showing that by adding
eggs to a salad there was an overall increased absorption of the vegetables' carotenoids.
Both studies had 16 participants consume a raw mixed-vegetable salad
with no eggs, a salad with one and a half eggs, and a salad with three
eggs, 0 grams, 75 grams and 150 grams of eggs, respectively. All salads
were served with three grams of canola oil, and the eggs were served
scrambled to ensure the whole egg was consumed. In the 2015 study, the
absorption of carotenoids – including alpha-carotene, beta-carotene,
lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene – was 3- to 8-fold higher when the salad
included three eggs compared to no eggs.
Previous research conducted by Campbell and
Ferruzzi also has shown that more carotenoids are absorbed when one
larger salad is consumed at a meal, compared to smaller salads consumed
at two meals during the day.