LIH Launches CAROFIBER Study to Explore How Food Combinations Affect Nutrient Absorption

LIH Launches CAROFIBER Study to Explore How Food Combinations Affect Nutrient Absorption

(IN BRIEF) The Luxembourg Institute of Health has launched CAROFIBER, a new nutrition study investigating how common food components interact during digestion and influence nutrient absorption. The project focuses on the relationship between dietary fibre and carotenoids, the natural pigments found in many red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Researchers want to determine whether certain fibres may trap beneficial nutrients during digestion and reduce how effectively the body absorbs them. The NutriHealth Group is recruiting healthy volunteers to help generate evidence that could support more precise dietary and lifestyle guidelines, particularly for people relying on plant-based diets.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 7-Aug-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The Luxembourg Institute of Health, known as LIH, has opened registration for CAROFIBER, a new nutrition study designed to investigate how common food components interact during digestion and influence nutrient absorption.

The study is being led by the NutriHealth Group within LIH’s Department of Precision Health.

Through the project, researchers aim to better understand how everyday dietary choices and food combinations can affect the nutritional value of meals.

The findings are expected to support the development of more precise and optimised dietary and lifestyle guidelines.

Dietary fibre and colourful, nutrient-rich vegetables are widely recognised as important elements of a healthy diet.

However, laboratory models suggest that some types of dietary fibre may interact with beneficial nutrients during digestion.

In particular, certain fibres may physically trap nutrients and limit how effectively the body can absorb them.

The CAROFIBER project has been launched to move beyond theoretical models and examine how these interactions occur in real human digestion.

The study focuses on carotenoids, natural pigments found in many red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables.

Carotenoids are recognised for their potential health-promoting properties and are an important part of nutrient-rich plant-based diets.

By studying how the human body processes test meals containing specific fibres and carotenoids, the LIH research team hopes to identify food combinations that help maximise the nutritional benefits of everyday meals.

The project is expected to generate practical insights for individuals, healthcare professionals and public health guidance.

Dr Torsten Bohn, Head of the Nutrition and Health Research Team and Principal Investigator of the CAROFIBER project, said understanding how common food components interact during digestion represents an important step forward for public health.

He said the insights gained from volunteers will help researchers determine which specific food combinations provide the greatest nutritional benefits.

Dr Bohn added that this knowledge is valuable for the general public and especially important for people who rely entirely on plant-based diets to meet their essential vitamin requirements.

Through CAROFIBER, LIH aims to provide actionable evidence that can help people make more informed dietary decisions.

The study may also support healthcare professionals in offering more precise nutrition guidance based on how foods interact during digestion, rather than evaluating individual nutrients in isolation.

The NutriHealth Group is currently recruiting healthy volunteers to take part in the study.

By participating, volunteers will help researchers investigate how fibre-rich foods and carotenoid-containing ingredients interact in the body and contribute to future evidence-based dietary recommendations.

With the launch of CAROFIBER, LIH is advancing nutrition research focused on real-world human digestion, nutrient bioavailability and the development of more personalised guidance for healthier eating.

Media Contact:

Torsten Bohn
Head of the Nutrition and Health Research Team

SOURCE: Luxembourg Institute of Health