Fats in a Healthy Diet?

by Andrew Weil, M.D.
Believe it or not, adding fats to salads can make them healthier, according to research conducted at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In a study published in the March 2005 Journal of Nutrition, 11 study participants ate a mixed salad or a tomato salsa, with and without avocado or avocado oils.

From three to five times more carotenoid nutrients such as lycopene and beta-carotene were absorbed by the participants who ate the salad with avocados, which are about 17 percent fat. Previous studies have shown just as much benefit comes from including full-fat dressing on salads.

Naturally, the key here is balance.

Fatty salad dressing may help you absorb fat-soluble antioxidants and carotenoids, but keep your daily caloric load in mind before upending a bottle over your greens.

I recommend sparing use of fatty salad dressing, but more liberal ingestion of avocados, which come with lots of vitamins, minerals, and monounsaturated fats. Since the fat is part of the fruit, overdosing on the fat in this form is less likely.