Tan From the Inside Out

We all know about the skin damage that can be caused by tanning beds or too much sun exposure, and your mom always told you that eating your veggies would do your body good. Now, a new study from The University of Nottingham in the U.K. shows that eating up to five servings of fruits and veggies per day can also do your skin good by giving you a natural glow that’s better than that of a sun-kissed tan.

“Most people think the best way to improve skin color is to get a suntan,” says Dr. Ian Stephen, who led the study, “but our research shows that eating lots of fruit and vegetables are actually more effective.”

The researchers found that a golden skin tone is caused by carotenoids -- antioxidants that soak up harmful compounds caused by stress and environmental strains. Carotenoids are responsible for the reddish-orange coloring in carrots and tomatoes, and it turns out they can give your skin a healthy color too. (Other fruits and veggies that can do the trick include plums, mangoes, apricots, cantaloupe, kale, spinach and winter squash.)

So eating veggies instead of soaking up the sun will save you time, suntan lotion, a whole lot of freckles … and possibly even skin cancer. But it gets better: For all you singles out there, the study also found that those with a more golden skin tone were found more attractive by the opposite sex.

Says Stephen: “We found that, given the choice between skin color caused by suntan and skin color caused by carotenoids, people preferred the carotenoid skin color. So if you want a healthier and more attractive skin color, you are better off eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables than lying in the sun.”

While the study’s results were based on Caucasian faces, the researchers also suggest the effect may exist cross-culturally, since similar preferences for a golden skin tone are found in African populations.