Whole egg consumption effects on vitamin D and carotenoids bioavailability in pre- and post-menopausal females: a randomized crossover controlled feeding trial.
Jung Eun Kim, Weili Hu, Lauren E O'Connor et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This randomized crossover controlled-feeding trial examined whether whole eggs eaten with a cooked vegetable meal altered postprandial nutrient absorption in 9 pre-menopausal and 8 post-menopausal females. Compared with the meal alone, adding 100 g cooked whole egg significantly increased carotenoid exposure in triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins in both groups: 104.2 ± 12.4 vs. 29.2 ± 12.4 ng mL⁻¹ × 10 h in pre-menopausal participants and 62.7 ± 12.4 vs. 10.1 ± 12.4 ng mL⁻¹ × 10 h in post-menopausal participants. The study did not find increased absorption of meal-derived vitamin D2.
Key findings
- Carotenoid AUC was higher with cooked whole egg than control in pre-menopausal females (104.2 ± 12.4 vs. 29.2 ± 12.4 ng mL⁻¹ × 10 h; p < 0.001).
- Carotenoid AUC was higher with cooked whole egg than control in post-menopausal females (62.7 ± 12.4 vs. 10.1 ± 12.4 ng mL⁻¹ × 10 h; p = 0.003).
- 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 AUC was significantly higher with egg in post-menopausal females (2.70 ± 0.59 vs. 1.03 ± 0.59 ng mL⁻¹ × 10 h; p = 0.015), but not in pre-menopausal females (p = 0.182).
- Vitamin D2, vitamin D3, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 were undetectable; menopausal status did not affect the reported postprandial responses.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that meal composition can influence short-term carotenoid absorption from vegetables, with cooked whole egg accompanying the meal associated with greater carotenoid appearance in circulating lipoproteins. The vitamin D results were less consistent and do not show enhanced absorption of the meal’s vitamin D2. These distinctions help interpret nutrient bioavailability findings without assuming that greater postprandial exposure establishes longer-term nutritional or clinical benefit.
What to keep in mind
The trial included only 17 participants and assessed postprandial responses over 10 hours; it does not establish longer-term nutritional or clinical effects.