Natural Health Blog | Diet & Health Remedies

Fats Improve Nutrient Absorption

Guess what? Fat is good. According to studies done at Ohio State University, fat is not only good, it's necessary for the proper absorption of many vitamins and phytochemicals.

In experiments done with tomato based salsa and bread, researchers tested the body's ability to utilize various nutrients when the salsa and bread were eaten alone, or with an avocado. The results were astounding. Beta carotene absorption was 2.6 times greater with the avocado. Lycopene absorption was 4.4 times greater. They also conducted a salad test (using no-fat dressing) with and without avocado. Again the results were stunning. Lutein absorption was 7 times greater with the avocado and beta-carotene absorption was 18 times greater.

The improvement in absorption was not because of the avocado in particular, but because of the fat in the avocado. Other natural sources of fat work equally as well. For example:

• Meat
• Dairy
• Fish
• Olives and olive oil
• Avocados
• Nuts and seeds
• Coconut and coconut oil
• Etc.

And yes, the type of fat matters. Cottonseed oil and hydrogenated oils did not help with nutrient absorption -- they actually slow the process.

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