Final answer:
Chylomicrons are formed from dietary fats and are necessary for transporting fat-soluble vitamins through the bloodstream. Fat intake increases chylomicron formation, specifically from triglycerides which are reassembled into chylomicrons in the intestinal cells after digestion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The component of food that would increase the number of chylomicrons in the lacteals is fat. Chylomicrons are lipoprotein particles that form in the intestinal cells after the digestion and re-assembly of dietary fats, such as triglycerides. These fats are essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins including A, D, E, and K.
After fats are emulsified by bile salts into micelles, they are absorbed by the enterocytes in the small intestine where they are reassembled into triglycerides. These are then mixed with other lipids and proteins to form chylomicrons, which enter the lacteals, travel through the lymphatic system, and eventually reach the bloodstream.
Thus, the ingestion of dietary fats rich in triglycerides significantly increases the formation of chylomicrons, as they transport dietary lipids through the body's water-based bloodstream.