Carotenoid Absorption and Metabolism From Green-leafy Vegetable Matrices - a Explorative Study in Short-bowel Patients and Healthy Controls - The "Popeye-study"

Absorption and metabolism of carotenoids from two types of spinach preparations will be investigated in two study groups, short bowel/ileostomy and healthy, respectively.

The study will be conducted as a randomised, controlled, 2-way crossover study. Twenty four participants (12 in each group) will be randomized to two sequences (1-2, 2-1) of interventions with a more and a less bio-accessible spinach preparation (differentiates only on the basis of particle size).

The intervention period is sub-divided into three parts: run-in period (48 hours) with a standardized low-carotenoid diet, 0-24 hours (follow-up period 1 (FP1)) and 24 hours - 2 weeks (FP2). The intervention periods will be separated by a wash-out period of at least 14 days.

At start of each intervention, the intervention meal (breakfast) is served, followed by standardized, carotenoid-free meals in the following 24 hours. Participants will in FP1 and FP2 receive an intervention meal every second day. Participants will otherwise keep their habitual diets during these follow-up periods.

Study participants are asked to collect urine during 24 hours before and after the first intervention meal in each period. They will also collect feces/ileostomy efflux for 24 hours before and after initiation of the intervention for short bowel/ileostomy patients and for 48 periods in the healthy volunteers, respectively. Overnight-fasting serum samples are drawn at day 1, 7 and 15 of each intervention period. On day 1 plasma samples are drawn at 0,1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 24 hours post first intervention meal.