Salad Smarts

The type of fat in salad dressings affects the absorption of nutrients from salad greens. Mario Feruzzi, from Perdue University (Indiana, USA), and colleagues examined the amount and type of lipids on post-consumption absorption of carotenoids from vegetable salads. Bearing in mind that vegetables and salads are full of fat soluble vitamins and nutrients, the researchers observed that pairing salads with fat-based dressings optimizes the uptake of nutrients from the greens. Using a fat-free dressing results in less nutrient absorption. Specifically, the researchers found that salad dressings containing “monounsaturated fatty acid rich canola oil trended toward enhancing absorption of lutein and beta-carotene.”