Eating plenty of vegetables is key to a glowing skin
By IANSWednesday, January 12, 2011
LONDON - Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is the best way to have a healthy, glowing skin.
Ian Stephen from the University of Bristol, who led the research, said: “Most people in the West think that the best way to improve skin colour is to get a suntan.”
“But our research shows that eating lots of fruits and vegetables is actually more effective,” said Stephen, according to the Daily Mail.
The team, working at University of St. Andrews lab, first assessed the skin colour of people in relation to their diet. Those who ate more portions of fruits and vegetables a day were found to have a more golden, yellow skin colour.
They then used a scientific instrument called a spectrophotometer that measured the way in which light in different parts of the spectrum is absorbed by the skin.
This revealed that those with a healthy glow had a higher presence of carotenoids, which are yellow and red antioxidants thought to play a role in the immune system and fertility.
Carotenoids are commonly found in fruits and vegetables such as yellow and red peppers, spinach, apricots and melons.