Eat fruit and vegetables 'to get the most favoured look'

 
An international team has carried out the study and found that consuming at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can bring a "golden glow" in one's face.

"This discovery is very exciting and has given us a promising lead into cues to health. The only natural way in which we can make our skin lighter and more yellow is to eat a more healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables.

"What we eat and not just how much we eat appears to be important for a healthy appearance," Prof David Perrett of St Andrews University, who led the team, was quoted by 'The Daily Telegraph' as saying.

The study used computer software which was able to manipulate the appearance of skin tone in a series of 51 images, 30 male and 21 female faces.

Researchers asked 54 people to adjust the skin colour of the faces to make them look as healthy as possible. They found that the volunteers used the programme to increase the lightness and rosiness of the skin as well as the yellow tone.

They said that while fruit and vegetables can make skin lighter and more yellow, a tan made the tone darker and more yellow. These pigments are powerful antioxidants which help the body to fight disease and so can be strong signs of health in their own right.

Added co-researcher Dr Ian Stephen of Bristol University: "It's really the same message about health eating, but just for different reasons, for your skin tone, instead of for other health benefits."

The findings have been published in the 'International Journal of Primatology'.