Forget the Sun! Experts Say Eat These Foods for Bronze, Glowing Skin

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical of this news. You're talking to a girl who has impossibly fair skin, who spends 5 minutes in the sun and comes in with 20 new freckles. So, really, can certain foods change the pigment of your skin? Details ...

Want to look like you've been lounging at the beach, even if you've been slaving at your desk? Of course, you can use a self tanner, but, according to the New York Daily News, another safe way to fake a tan is to eat your way to one.

Cartenoids, organic pigments found in many plants, can actually change the skin's color to some degree, says Bristol University experimental psychologist Ian Stephen. Foods rich in these compounds include sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, apricots, carrots, peppers and spinach. Stephen says that switching to a produce-rich diet can improve the tone and look of your skin.

According to his research: "When he asked volunteers to look at 'before and after' photos of Caucasians who consumed a diet rich in orange and green fruits and vegetables, he found that the volunteers liked the golden glow that the skin took on when a produce-rich diet was eaten."

Sort of fascinating, isn't it? But, remember that you can overdo it on veggies, too. I've known people who ate so many carrots their skin took on a very distinctive orange pigment. Not exactly the look you were going for? Me either. :)

Have you noticed skin changes (pigment or otherwise) from the fruits and veggies you eat?

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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio