An Unlikely Ally Against Cancer
Fat helps body absorb disease-fighting agents from vegetables, study suggests
TUESDAY, July 27 (HealthDayNews) -- Fat can actually be your friend in fighting cancer, an Iowa State University study claims.
Researchers found you need at least a bit of fat in your salad for your body to absorb the cancer-fighting agents found in salad vegetables. The fat helps promote absorption of lycopene and alpha and beta carotenes, which can help protect you from cancer and heart disease, researcher Wendy White said in a statement.
"We're certainly not advocating a high-fat diet or one filled with full-fat salad dressing. If you'd like to stick with fat-free dressing, the addition of small amounts of avocado or cheese in a salad may help along the absorption," said White, an associate professor of food science and nutrition.
"Our findings are actually consistent with U.S. dietary guidelines, which support a diet moderate, rather than very low, in fat. But what we found compelling was that some of our more popular healthful snacks, like baby carrots, really need to be eaten with a source of fat for us to absorb the beta carotene," White said.
The 12-week study, published in the July 22 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included men and women between the ages of 19 and 28. They ate salads of spinach, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes and carrots, topped with Italian dressings containing 0, 6 or 28 grams of canola oil.
Hourly blood samples were collected from the study participants for 11 hours after each meal. No beta carotene absorption was detected when they ate salads with fat-free dressings. Much greater absorption of lycopene and alpha and beta carotene was detected when they ate salads with full-fat dressings, compared with low-fat dressings.
More information
Iowa State University has more about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: Iowa State University, news release, July 23, 2004
Copyright © 2004 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
Fats Boost Veggie Benefits
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- You may not want to opt for low-fat salad dressing anymore. New research shows fats actually help the body absorb nutrients found in vegetables.
Researchers from Iowa State University in Ames studied men and women between ages 19 and 28. Participants consumed lettuce and other vegetables topped with salad dressing that contained zero, six or 28 grams of canola oil. Blood tests were taken every 11 hours following each meal.
Results show when patients consumed fat-free dressings, they absorbed virtually no beta-carotene. On the other hand, when they consumed full-fat and reduced-fat dressings, they had a greater absorption of lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene, all of which aid in the fight against cancer and heart disease.
Wendy White, Ph.D., from Iowa State University, says, “Our findings are actually consistent with U.S. dietary guidelines, which support a diet moderate, rather than very low, in fat. But what we found compelling was that some of our more popular healthful snacks, like baby carrots, really need to be eaten with a source of fat for us to absorb the beta carotene.”
White says those who prefer fat-free dressings could add small amounts of avocado or cheese to their salads to help the body absorb nutrients.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004;80:396-403