The Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology wants your leafy greens—or golds—to pack some extra beta-carotene.

Biotechnological methods increased beta-carotene in leaves by up to 30 times, improving its bioaccessibility without impacting photosynthesis. This could enhance the nutritional value of leafy vegetables.

Dubbed “Golden Lettuce” due to its striking yellow color, the new vegetable contains up to 30 times more beta-carotene than its conventional green counterpart. The enhanced beta-carotene levels are not just higher in quantity but also more bioaccessible, meaning the human digestive system can extract the antioxidants more efficiently.

Most of us don’t eat as much fruit and veggies as we know we should, but that goal might now be a bit more achievable. Scientists in Spain have engineered a new “Golden Lettuce” with 30 times more nutrients than the regular green stuff.

While there are always going to be fears of so-called "Frankenfoods", this latest study in lettuce shows another new and promising way of improving nutrition through the biofortification of plants. The new study is published in The Plant Journal.

New Atlas reports that the Research Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP) genetically engineered a new type of “golden lettuce” with 30 times more nutrients than the common leafy greens.