Reap More of Veggies' Rewards with Canola Oil
A bowl of colourful, fresh vegetables just got even healthier with a splash of canola oil. Purdue University researchers found dressings containing canola oil best facilitated the absorption of fat-soluble carotenoids, which are associated with lower risk for certain cancers, heart disease and the age-related eye condition macular degeneration. Published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, the study found that people who ate dressings made with soybean oil or butter had to eat far more dressing to get the same nutritional benefit as the canola oil-based dressing. “Carotenoids and other fat-soluble nutrients are poorly absorbed from fat-free diets,” Marion Nestle, Ph.D., nutrition professor at New York University, told WebMD. “So this study provides confirming evidence that it's best to eat a diet balanced in fats as well as proteins and carbohydrates.”