Hey BA!

Growing up I’m sure you were told at some point to “eat your vegetables.” Maybe that is what you are telling your own kids now. Vegetables are filled with amazing vitamins and minerals, so it’s a great rule to set in place. I want to take it one step further though and say “eat your vegetables with a fat.” Why? It’s all about increasing the bioavailability of fat-soluble vitamins. Bioavailability simply refers to your body’s ability to properly digest and utilize the nutrients you are consuming.

Let’s take a quick step back though… Vitamins are broken down into two categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins include B and C complexes, whereas fat-soluble include A, D, E, and K. Water/fat-soluble refers to how the vitamin is absorbed and stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and circulate freely in water-filled areas of the body. They are then readily excreted by the kidneys. Fat-soluble, however, require bile in order to be absorbed, which means they require dietary fat consumption. They hit the lymphatic system first before going into the bloodstream, often requiring carrier proteins to be transported, and are stored in tissue for future use (1).

In case you don’t care too much about the biochemistry of it, just hold on to this fact:

Fat-soluble vitamins require dietary fat in order to be absorbed and utilized by the body.

Vegetables contain both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. For example, carrots contain high amounts of beta-carotene, which is what gives them their orange color. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A (fat-soluble). While beta-carotene is an antioxidant, which makes it beneficial on it’s own, the body also depends on some of that beta-carotene being converted to vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for gut, eye, and skin health, as well as immune system regulation and cell replication and differentiation. Fun fact (or at least I think it’s fun) the GI tract has the fastest regenerating cells in the body. Therefore, if you have leaky gut or are just looking to strengthen your gut lining in general, adequate vitamin A consumption is extremely important.

Recap: If you eat raw carrots alone you will receive beta-carotene, which is great! If you eat them with a fat, you will increase the conversion rate of beta-carotene to vitamin A, thereby receiving all the benefits carrots have to offer! The same goes for all other vegetables as well. Eating them alone is wonderful, but eating them with a fat unlocks even more nutrients.

*If you want the best absorption rate for fat-soluble vitamins, lightly cook them with a fat. Ex. Steam and top with olive oil afterwards!

Healthy fats to add:

Raw, organic nut/seed butters
Raw nut mix
Sprouted seed mix
Extra virgin olive oil
Avocado/guac
Cooking fats (pasture-raised butter or ghee, cold-pressed coconut, red palm, or avocado oil)

So go ahead and bring back those ants on a log you ate as a kid. Their fun, delicious, and clearly nutritious!

Reddy P, Jialal I. Biochemistry, Fat Soluble Vitamins. [Updated 2021 Sep 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534869/

Eat Your Veggies with a Fat!