You've heard the old wives' tale that eating an abundance of carrots turns your skin orange. Well, it's really true.
A study led by Ross Whitehead, a graduate student in psychology at Scotland's University of St. Andrews, discovered that if you eat lots of food rich in carotenoids (like carrots) your skin will develop a lovely yellow hue that will deem you more attractive. It only takes 6 weeks of changing your diet for your skin to develop the golden undertones.
How many more fruits and vegetables do you have to eat to make this change? The study we read about it on NPR says that "one to three more servings of fruit and vegetables a day" will do it. It was 6 weeks, on average, that the change was detectable in photographs.
The small study with only 35 participants looked for increased yellow and red changes in the skin but the red was much harder to detect possibly because of normal blood flow changes in skin.
This study was funded in part by Unilever known for their popular food and skin care/beauty products. It makes sense that they would be interested in finding out what foods make people look good. Whitehead "Unilever is interested in the impact of diet, health and lifestyle on appearance -- which is a strong motivator of behavior."
Look hot by eating more fruits and vegetables. We'll believe it. It works for this woman in Florida.
