The scientists from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland claim that excessive consumption of fruits and fresh vegetables for several weeks can improve skin tone.
The authors of the study, previously published in the PLoS One journal, write that yellow and red pigments (carotenoids), that fruits and vegetables contain in large amounts, influence the skin tone making it more natural. The experts invited 35 students to participate in the experiment (mostly people with the white skin tone), and watched their diet during six weeks. The volunteers ate certain fruits and vegetables. They were also asked to give up going to the solarium and applying tan. Using a special instrument, the scientists evaluated the skin tone before, during and after the experiment and monitored the increase of red or yellow tones of the skin, depending on the increase of the amount of fruits or vegetables in their diet.
As a result, they found out that excessive intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a change in skin tone; this kind of a diet contributes to the appearance of red and yellow tones. In each case, it has a positive effect on assessing the attractiveness of the person in the eyes of the opposite sex. The authors write that even a slight change in the diet affects the skin tone: fruits and vegetables produce a positive effect. At the same time, they note that changes of the skin tone in the elderly people and the people with a different skin tone, consuming large quantities of fruits and vegetables, can occur in a different way, so more research is needed.
Most people do not consume the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables – 5 times a week. The results of this research might help them change their attitude towards food. Dr. Glenys Jones from the Medical Research Council’s Human Nutrition Research at Cambridge University adds that fruits and vegetables contain large amounts of nutrients that are useful not only for the skin, but for overall health.
A nutritionist from the St. George’s Hospital in London, Catherine Collins supported the opinion of her colleagues and urged people to eat fruits and vegetables of different colors (tomatoes, eggplants, lettuce, mushrooms and oranges) to promote beauty and health.
