Healthy lifestyle can give skin a ‘golden glow’, research suggests

Leading a healthy lifestyle can help give people a “golden glow” by improving their skin colour, according to new research.

The study, led by St Andrews University, found a balanced and healthy lifestyle, including becoming fitter, avoiding stress and sleeping longer all gave skin a more healthy looking colour.

Previous studies have linked improvements in skin colour to a good diet but the latest study also examined the relationship between general health and skin tone.

Eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables increases skin yellowness, making it look healthier and more attractive, with the change due to the accumulation of coloured plant pigments in the skin such as orange carotene from carrots and red lycopene from tomatoes.

These pigments, called carotenoids, play an important role as antioxidants, which can help protect against damage from oxidative toxins, caused by the stresses and strains of everyday life, that damage DNA and proteins.

Antioxidants protect against damage by neutralising the toxins, although antioxidants themselves are used up in the neutralising process.

Scientists said exercise boosts the body’s own antioxidant systems, which may spare the carotenoid pigments so they can accumulate in the skin, while losing excess body fat, reducing mental stress, and better quality, longer sleep may decrease the production of oxidative toxins. Researchers found skin yellowness could be an indicator of a person’s health by demonstrating the body has enough antioxidant reserves and low levels of oxidative toxins.