Studies Show... Eat Your Veggies!

Eating Vegetables Gives Skin



A More Healthy Glow Than the Sun











New research suggests eating

vegetables gives you a healthy tan.

The study conducted at The

University of Nottingham, showed

that eating a healthy diet rich in fruit

and vegetables gives you a more

healthy golden glow than the sun.







The research, which showed that



instead of heading for the sun the best

way to look good is to munch on carrots

and tomatoes, has been published in the Journal Evolution and

Human Behaviour. The researchers said: "Most people think the

best way to improve skin colour is to get a suntan, but our



research shows that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is actually

more effective."







The team in the Perception Lab found that people who eat more

portions of fruit and vegetables per day have a more golden skin

color, thanks to substances called carotenoids. Carotenoids are

antioxidants that help soak up damaging compounds produced

by the stresses and strains of everyday living, especially when



the body is combating disease. Responsible for the red colouring

in fruit and vegetables such as carrots and tomatoes, carotenoids

are important for our immune and reproductive systems.







They said: "We found that, given the choice between skin color

caused by suntan and skin color caused by carotenoids, people

preferred the carotenoid skin colour, so if you want a healthier

and more attractive skin color, you are better off eating a healthy

diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables than lying in the sun."







The study is important because evolution would favor individuals

who choose to form alliances or mate with healthier individuals

over unhealthy individuals. The researchers explained: "This is



something we share with many other species. For example, the

bright yellow beaks and feathers of many birds can be thought



of as adverts showing how healthy a male bird is.







What's more, females of these species prefer to mate with

brighter, more colored males. But this is the first study in which

this has been demonstrated in humans."







While this study describes work in Caucasian faces, the paper

also describes a study that suggests the effect may exist cross

culturally, since similar preferences for skin yellowness were

found in an African population.







The work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological

Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and







Unilever Research, and published with support from the

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the

British Academy and Wolfson Foundation.







Story Source: University of Nottingham.







Journal Reference: Carotenoid and melanin pigment coloration

affect perceived human health.



Evolution and Human Behavior, 2010;









Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical



advice, diagnosis or treatment.