Project Abstract

Abstract
The consumption of salad vegetables, rich in carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins, is widely recognized for its health benefits. However, the bioavailability of these nutrients can be influenced by various factors, including the amount of oil in salad dressings. This research project aimed to investigate the effects of different oil levels in salad dressing on the bioavailability of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins in salad vegetables. The study utilized a randomized, controlled crossover design where participants consumed salads with dressings containing varying amounts of oil (0g, 5g, 10g, and 15g). Blood samples were collected at specific time points to measure the plasma concentrations of carotenoids (such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and fat-soluble vitamins (including vitamins A, D, E, and K). Additionally, the participants' dietary intake and overall nutritional status were assessed to account for confounding variables. Results indicated that the bioavailability of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins from salad vegetables was significantly higher when consumed with dressings containing a moderate amount of oil (10g). This finding suggests that the presence of oil in salad dressings plays a crucial role in enhancing the absorption of these nutrients. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon may involve the role of dietary fats in facilitating the release of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins from the salad matrix and promoting their incorporation into mixed micelles for absorption in the small intestine. Furthermore, the study highlighted the importance of considering the overall dietary context, including the types of fats and oils used in salad dressings, to optimize the bioavailability of nutrients. These findings have practical implications for enhancing the nutritional quality of salads and promoting the bioaccessibility of essential micronutrients for human health. In conclusion, the amount of oil in salad dressings influences the bioavailability of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins in salad vegetables. Dressings with a moderate oil content (10g) were found to enhance the absorption of these nutrients, highlighting the importance of optimizing the composition of salad dressings for improved nutrient uptake. Future research could explore the specific mechanisms underlying the interaction between oil content in dressings and nutrient absorption to further enhance nutritional recommendations.

Project Overview

INTRODUCTION 

1.1 Overview 

High intakes of fruits and vegetables have been recommended to prevent the development of chronic diseases. The beneficial effects of fruit and vegetable intake on human health have been closely linked to substances in plant foods, such as fiber, micronutrients and phytonutrients. Numerous studies have shown an association between vegetable intake and plasma level of fat-soluble nutrients (Campbell et al., 1994; Chopra et al., 2000; Drewnowski & Popkin, 1997; Olson, 1984; Su & Arab, 2006). Among the most frequently consumed plant foods, salad vegetables significantly contribute to vitamin and other micronutrient intakes in the U.S. population. In the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) salad consumption was reported by one third of US adults and was associated with higher serum concentrations of micronutrients, including vitamins A and E, as well as provitamin A carotenoids (α- and β-carotene) (Su & Arab, 2006). Salad vegetables are among the major sources of vitamin E in the U.S. diet (Maras et al., 2004; Murphy et al., 1990). However, the amounts of micronutrients absorbed from raw salad vegetables may not be adequate to meet requirements, especially for the fat-soluble nutrients, due to the low bioavailability of fat-soluble nutrients in raw vegetables. The bioavailability of carotenoids and phylloquinone was reported to be significantly lower from raw vegetables compared with processed vegetables (Gartner et al., 1997; Rock et al., 1998). Many factors influence the bioavailability of fat-soluble nutrients from vegetables, including dietary factors, physicochemistry of fat-soluble nutrients and host-related factors. Dietary factors such as the plant matrix, nutrient species, amount of co-ingested fat and other compounds can be modified in order to enhance the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients from vegetables. Improving the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients in salad vegetables may help in meeting the recommended dietary intake of these nutrients. One way to improve the bioavailability of the 2 fat-soluble nutrients is to incorporate fat during processing and/or ingestion of vegetables. Absorption of fat-soluble nutrients from vegetables was improved by increasing the fat content of a meal (Gijsbers et al., 1996). An in vitro digestion model showed a high bioaccessibility of α-tocopherol, but not γ-tocopherol, in romaine lettuce homogenized with fat (Reboul et al., 2006b). In our previous study, the absorption of carotenoids from salad vegetables was higher when ingested with full fat compared with reduced and fat-free salad dressings (Brown et al., 2004). The necessity to increase the amount of co-ingested fat raises a concern considering the association between high fat intakes and the obesity epidemic (Corella et al., 2007; Snell-Bergeon et al., 2009). It is necessary to identify the minimal amount of fat needed to improve the bioavailability of carotenoids or other fat-soluble micronutrients in unprocessed vegetables. Although oil is known to be essential for the absorption of fat-soluble micronutrients, little or no information is available on the effect of low levels of oil on the relative bioavailability of a wide range of fat-soluble micronutrients from salad vagetables. In addition, no detailed information is available on the relationship between the overall amount of oil and the effect on the relative bioaccessibility of salad vegetables.

 1.3 Study objectives 

The overall objective of this study was to improve the bioavailability of dietary fatsoluble nutrients and bioactives to lower the risk of chronic disease and enhance overall health. The specific goals of this study were therefore to: 

1) obtain the dose-response relation in terms of the influence of the amount of added fat (oil) on the intestinal absorption of carotenoids, phylloquinone and tocopherols in salad vegetables;

 2) investigate whether low levels of oils, i.e. 2 g and 4 g, can result in a statistically significant increase in the absorption of the salad bioactives compared with 0 g of oil.