It turns out carrots are good for more than just your eyesight. A recent study published in the journal Behavioral Ecology finds that eating vegetables with high levels of carotenoids actually makes you more attractive — at least, if you're a white guy.
Carotenoids are yellow and red pigments found in fruits and vegetables — and the reason why carrots are orange, according to a statement about the study. To test the effects of carotenoids, which are rumored to give your skin a healthy glow, researchers put 23 men on a 12-week regiment of beta-carotene (the carotenoid found in things like sweet potatoes, carrots, and kale) supplements and 20 more men on a placebo. They then took a series of before photos and a series of after photos.
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This image is the result of compiling all of those photos together (creepy, right?) The guy at the top was given beta-carotene and the guy on the bottom got the placebo. The researcher recruited 66 straight, white women to rate each photo based on both attractiveness and how healthy they think the guy in the photo looks. While taking the supplements didn't actually make these guys healthier, according to researchers, it did make them look healthier and therefore more attractive to the women rating these photos.
While the results were only tested in men, there's nothing saying eating your carotenoid-rich veggies won't give people of all genders a nice summery glow. So please excuse us, while we go buy some carrots.
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