Eat fruit and veg “for a healthy glow

Yet another reason to enjoy tomatoes.

People who eat higher amounts of fruit and vegetables are perceived as having more attractive skin than those who are merely suntanned, a new study has found. Research from the University of Newcastle in New South Wales investigated whether young Australians associated a healthy complexion with melanin colouration from tanning, or with carotenoid colouration from fruit and vegetables.

Lead author Dr Kristine Pezdirc explains, “Human skin colour is influenced by three pigments – haemoglobin, carotenoids and melanin. There are some concerns if young Australian adults perceive skin colouration from tanning (melanin) to be healthy.” But when participants were asked to manipulate the colour of 50 different faces on a computer to make them appear “as healthy as possible”, they associated the appearance of health with carotenoid colouration, removing the melanin colouration when both were applied to the image simultaneously.

“[The] take-home message and bottom line is, for a healthy glow, hit the fruit and vegetables before heading out,” says Pezdirc.