Want Healthy-Looking Skin? Skip The Beach And Eat Your Carrots, Tomatoes

Research by British scientists has found that people who eat more servings of fruit and vegetables each day have a healthier, golden skin color, thanks to antioxidants known as carotenoids that help absorb damaging compounds produced by stress, strain and illness. Carotenoids are responsible for the reddish color in carrots and tomatoes, and are important for the immune and reproductive systems. In three studies, researchers found that people actually preferred a skin color caused by carotenoids to one caused by suntan, a fact reflected in the animal kingdom where, for example, birds’ bright yellow beaks and feathers advertise a healthy male. “Together our studies link skin carotenoid coloration to both perceived health and healthy diet, establishing carotenoid coloration as a valid cue to human health,” the researchers concluded.