"Carrots need oil to be absorbed," it seems this is already common knowledge. Recently, a reader asked me, "Is it true that as long as there is oil, carrots are well-absorbed? How much oil is appropriate? The more oil, the better the absorption of carrots?"
This is really an interesting question. First, we need to understand that the good absorption of carrot nutrients mainly refers to its beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is fat-soluble, so it needs the help of oil to be absorbed. So, is the more oil, the better? One study gave subjects cooked vegetables rich in beta-carotene. The results found that the amount of oil did not cause a significant difference in beta-carotene absorption. Another study, however, reached a different conclusion. They gave subjects vegetable salads with different fat contents. The results showed that people who ate salads with higher fat content absorbed more beta-carotene. Why the different conclusions? The difference lies in the fact that in the first study, the vegetables were cooked; while in the second study, raw vegetables were used.
Therefore, through these experiments, we can draw the following conclusions to make carrots the most nutritious:
1. When eating carrots raw, such as in a shredded carrot salad, the more oil you add, the more beta-carotene is absorbed, but too much oil is not good for your health.
2. When eating cooked carrots, even if they are just boiled and then dressed with a little sesame oil, you can still get a lot of beta-carotene, with an effect similar to using a lot of oil. You don't even need oil; relying on the fat from other dishes can also allow beta-carotene to be well-absorbed.