Skip to content

Scientists hail baby carrots as saving grace for beautiful skin, new study shows

If you’ve tried everything on your quest for flawless skin, then you might be frustrated to learn that your fix could already be in your fridge.

Despite the plethora of research out there to enhance your daily skincare routine, people are craving solutions to their skin woes more than ever. Some have turned to DIY skincare hacks from the internet, while others have sought expert advice on topics like discoloration, eye bags, and why pimple patches are pointless.

Carrots
Credit: Unsplash/Harshal S. Hirve

Baby carrots are great for your skin

Though we have long been familiar with the skincare benefits of natural products, a new study presented at the NUTRITION 2024 conference has shed light on the true power of baby carrots.

The study, which earlier highlighted the overall benefits of consuming baby carrots, analyzed the skin carotenoid levels in young adults after consuming either apples, carrots, or a multivitamin supplement. High carotenoid levels have been shown to reduce a number of chronic illnesses including cancer.

Previous studies have demonstrated that skin carotenoid levels can be increased by consuming three times the recommended serving of fruits and vegetables every day for three weeks, said Mary Harper Simmons, a Master of Science in Nutrition student at Samford University and lead author of the study. Our findings suggest that a small, simple dietary modificationincorporating baby carrots as a snackcan significantly increase skin carotenoid accumulation.

Following their study, the researchers were able to say that baby carrots should be eaten three times a week. For maximum skin health, consider also taking a multivitamin-containing beta carotene.

We found that the combination of baby carrots and a multivitamin supplement that contains beta carotene can have an interactive effect on skin carotenoid accumulation, she added.

More than one way to get your Carotenoids

vegetables
Credit: Unsplash/Andres Carreno

Though baby carrots are clearly the ultimate Carotenoid carrier, there are countless other vegetables and fruits containing the vital nutrient.

Not all Carotenoid-rich vegetables are created equal, and those with the highest concentrations are often yellow, orange, and green leafy fruits and vegetables. Examples include spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, and winter squash.

Other notable veggies containing the important nutrients include pumpkin, bell peppers, yams, watermelon, and guava.