Salads provide key nutrients

Eating plenty of salads and raw vegetables increases the levels of important nutrients in blood. Researchers from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, USA, found that even one serving of raw vegetables everyday provided people with the recommended amounts of vitamins A, E, B6 and folic acid. Besides, with the increase in salad and raw vegetable intake, there was also an increase of vitamins and several carotenoids (antioxidants that give yellow, orange and red hues to many vegetables and fruits) in the blood. The researchers surveyed nearly 18,000 adults. Out of these, only 18 to 38 percent said that they ate salads. Women younger than 45 had the highest rate; older Americans had the lowest. In general, black adults of all ages were less likely to eat salads and other raw vegetables than their white counterparts. Researchers based their findings on data from a federal health and nutrition survey of 17,688 U.S. adults. Participants reported on their diets over the last 24 hours and had medical exams that included measuring nutrient levels in the blood. Overall, salad and vegetable consumers had higher blood levels of a range of nutrients - 15 percent higher, on average, than people who reported a menu free of raw vegetables. They were also two to three times more likely to meet the recommended daily intake for vitamin C. The dose of salad didn't have to be large to help people meet their daily requirements for several nutrients. Even one a day made a difference. The findings should also help allay any concerns about the body's ability to absorb certain nutrients from raw vegetables. Water-soluble vitamins, like vitamin C and many B vitamins, are heat-sensitive, and it's better to get them through raw vegetables. But certain other nutrients, including the carotenoids, tend to be better absorbed from cooked vegetables. However, a little fat helps the body get the most from these nutrients. In this study, salad dressing was linked to higher nutrient levels in the blood - suggesting that the oils in dressings could have aided in absorption of some nutrients.