The absorption of vitamin E is influenced by the amount of fat in a meal and the food matrix

Abstract

Vitamin E absorption requires the presence of fat; however, limited information exists on the influence of fat quantity on optimal absorption. In the present study we compared the absorption of stable-isotope-labelled vitamin E following meals of varying fat content and source. In a randomised four-way cross-over study, eight healthy individuals consumed a capsule containing 150 mg 2 H-labelled RRRa-tocopheryl acetate with a test meal of toast with butter (17·5 g fat), cereal with full-fat milk (17·5 g fat), cereal with semi-skimmed milk (2·7 g fat) and water (0 g fat). Blood was taken at 0, 0·5, 1, 1·5, 2, 3, 6 and 9 h following ingestion, chylomicrons were isolated, and 2 H-labelled a-tocopherol was analysed in the chylomicron and plasma samples. There was a significant time (P,0·001) and treatment effect (P,0·001) in 2 H-labelled a-tocopherol concentration in both chylomicrons and plasma between the test meals.2 H-labelled a-tocopherol concentration was significantly greater with the higher-fat toast and butter meal compared with the low-fat cereal meal or water (P, 0·001), and a trend towards greater concentration compared with the high-fat cereal meal (P¼0·065). There was significantly greater 2 H-labelled a-tocopherol concentration with the high-fat cereal meal compared with the low-fat cereal meal (P,0·05). The 2 H-labelled atocopherol concentration following either the low-fat cereal meal or water was low. These results demonstrate that both the amount of fat and the food matrix influence vitamin E absorption. These factors should be considered by consumers and for future vitamin E intervention studies.

A stable isotope method for the simultaneous measurement of vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) kinetics and absorption

“…The most commonly used current method to measure relative availability is to estimate the area under the plasma vitamin K 1 response curve to the vitamin given in standard and test forms. It is possible that the low levels of absorption found in the present experiments are a consequence of the form in which the dose was given either through the absence of a test meal or incomplete release of vitamin K 1 from the capsule, although previous studies investigating vitamin K 1 and E have used similar capsules and have not reported lower than expected absorption (Suttie et al, 1988;Jeanes et al, 2004). The earlier estimate of up to 80% absorption was obtained when the standard vitamin K 1 dose was provided in milk with a meal of bread and cheese (Shearer et al, 1970;Shearer et al, 1974).…”

Egg Consumption Increases Vitamin E Absorption from Co-Consumed Raw Mixed Vegetables in Healthy Young Men

“…Because vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient, it is widely accepted that dietary lipid is required for the absorption of vitamin E (8,9). Research that used an in vitro digestion model showed that a-tocopherol bioavailability was promoted by increasing the amount of soybean oil added to salad purée, because the micellarization of a-tocopherol during digestion was enhanced (10).…”

Symposium 2: Modern approaches to nutritional research challenges Targeted and non-targeted approaches for metabolite profiling in nutritional research

“…5 g fat (P <0 . 001) (69) . It has been shown that during the absorptive phase there is no discrimination between vitamin E forms (70) , but a number of biokinetic studies have demonstrated the preferential secretion of a-tocopherol in VLDL over other vitamin E forms (70) , so that there is a retention of a-tocopherol in the body (71) .…”