Nutrient Absorption Improved With Eggs, Study Finds

New findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveal that adding an egg to your salad can help with nutrient absorption.

Researchers at Purdue University found that eggs in salads are particularly effective when it comes to the absorption of carotenoids, otherwise known as fat-soluble nutrients that help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

"Eating a salad with a variety of colorful vegetables provides several unique types of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene," Wayne Campbell, researcher and a professor of nutrition science, said in a statement. "The lipid contained in whole eggs enhances the absorption of all these carotenoids."

During the study, researchers recruited 16 participants and had them consume a raw mixed-vegetable salad with no eggs, a salad with one and a half eggs and a salad with three eggs at different times. All of the salads were also served with three grams of canola oil.

The second salad also had 75 grams of scrambled whole eggs while the third 150 grams of scrambled whole eggs. The absorption of carotenoids was 3.8-fold higher when the salad included three eggs compared to no eggs. Scrambled eggs were specifically used in the the study to make sure that both the yolk and egg whites were consumed by participants.

Findings revealed that the lipids in salad dressings also helped to increase the absorption of carotenoids. However, researchers warned not to overuse the product as it can be heavy in excuse calories and/or fat.

"Our research findings support that people obtained more of the health-promoting carotenoids from raw vegetables when cooked whole eggs were also consumed," concluded Jung Eun Kim, a postdoctoral researcher in Purdue's Department of Nutrition Science. "Eggs, a nutrient-rich food containing essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins, may be used to increase the nutritive value of vegetables, which are under consumed by the majority of people living in the United States."

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