Get Your Winter Glow On

Feeling pasty and pale this winter? Ditch the idea of turning to the damaging effects of indoor tanning, and save your money on those expensive (and very temporary) spray tans! Turns out, you can eat your way to golden skin—Whether it’s carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins or squash, if it’s got a high levels of carotenoids (and these yellow and orange vegetables do!), it’s great for your skin color!

Dr. Ian Stephen and colleagues at The University of Nottingham conducted research earlier this year that showed that eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables gives you a healthy glow that mimics that of the sun. But even better, they claim that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is actually more effective. Their paper was published in the Journal Evolution and Human Behaviour.

Here’s what they found...

Those who eat more portions of high-level carotenoid fruit and vegetables each day have a more of a naturally golden skin color. Carotenoids are antioxidants, which are important for our immune systems, combatting those damaging compounds produced by the stress, strain, and disease. How do you know if what you’re eating has carotenoids? Color. If it’s red, orange or yellow, it’s just the glow-getter you’re looking for!

The researchers report that when test subjects compared suntanned skin and carotenoid-colored skin, they preferred the natural glow of the carotenoid-colored skin. Their conclusion? “... if you want a healthier and more attractive skin colour, you are better off eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables than lying in the sun."