Say you've just picked a handful of kale leaves and pulled a few carrots from the garden. Set them side by side on the kitchen table. Both are known for being high in fiber and good for you, but eating them every day is easier said than done. So one research team tried something different. They ground kale and carrots, mixed them with milk ingredients and pressed the blend into a small tablet they call a "milk tablet."
Fiber and Polyphenols in a Single Tablet
The tablet is rich in dietary fiber and contains gallic acid, a polyphenol. Gallic acid is an antioxidant, which means it helps protect against oxidation. Kale and carrots each bring something different to the mix.
- Kale: Like other members of the cabbage family, it's packed with fiber and antioxidants.
- Carrots: They add beta-carotene and a mild natural sweetness.
Putting the two vegetables together packs fiber and polyphenols into one small tablet.
Short-Chain Fatty Acids from Friendly Gut Bacteria
When the researchers placed the tablet in a test tube with beneficial gut bacteria, strains such as Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium longum grew well. As these bacteria feed on fiber, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are known to support gut health and to help slow the liver's production of cholesterol. With the tablet added, SCFA levels went up.
What Changed in a Six-Week Trial
People with high cholesterol took the tablet every day for six weeks. Their HDL, often called "good" cholesterol, went up, and their LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, went down. Levels of ApoB100, a protein attached to LDL particles, also fell, as did levels of HMGCR, the enzyme the liver uses to make cholesterol. Markers of inflammation, however, barely changed.
That said, this was an early-stage study that compared participants before and after taking the tablet. Stricter trials that compare it against a placebo still need to be done. For now, the results suggest the tablet may help with cholesterol management, and that's about as far as they go.
Bringing It to Your Table Tonight
The effect isn't strong enough to replace medication, but the study does a good job of showing why kale and carrots are good for you. And you don't need a milk tablet to benefit. Tonight, try lightly blanching some kale from your garden and adding it to a salad, with raw carrot cut into thin matchsticks on the side. Eating the two vegetables as they are gives you plenty of fiber and polyphenols.
