Many vitamins and beneficial plant compounds are fat-soluble, meaning the body absorbs them more efficiently when they are consumed with dietary fat. For example, if your rice is paired with vegetables like carrots, spinach, pumpkin, or leafy greens, adding a teaspoon of ghee may help the body better absorb nutrients such as vitamins A, E and K, along with carotenoids like beta-carotene. Yao et al. (2022) reviewed studies on how dietary fats affect carotenoid absorption and also found that eating fat along with carotenoid-rich foods improves carotenoid bioavailability. Higher amounts of dietary fat increased carotenoid absorption, especially fats rich in unsaturated fatty acids. This suggests that fat-containing foods, such as ghee, may help the body absorb fat-soluble nutrients from vegetables. This means the traditional Indian thali, where rice, vegetables, dal and a little ghee are eaten together, may naturally support better nutrient utilisation.
