We already know that fruits and veggies can help us look, feel, and stay younger, and now, thanks to some nifty new science, we can also add sexier to that fabulous list. In a first-of-its-type experiment, scientists set out to evaluate how skin coloration impacts the perception of “facial attractiveness” as well as mate selection. For this study, scientists conducted a series of experiments pitting high carotenoid skin coloration, which comes from eating fruits and vegetables high in carotenoid pigments, against facial coloration from tanning (also known as melanisation). 120 study subjects were shown a series of 24 side-by-side, identical, digital images of various composite faces donning either the high carotenoid or the high melanin coloration. With each pair, study subjects were asked to select which of the pair was “most appealing”. Faces bearing the carotenoid “veggie glow” were the resounding top choice beating out the suntan coloration by over 3:1.

The researchers noted that this novel study breaks new ground as the first to show the relevance of skin coloration in perceptions of attractiveness. They postulate that their observations likely stem from a hard-wired instinct to be naturally drawn to healthier, fruit and veggie-eating mates who would thus be more likely to survive and thrive, and ultimately offer the greatest opportunities for producing healthy progeny. ( The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2014; 1 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2014.944194)