Their research has shown that men and women whose skin has a yellow glow are thought to be particularly attractive and healthy – and yellow pigments called carotenoids, found in certain fruit and vegetables play a key role in giving the skin that hue.
Study’s co-author Ian Stephen said that just two months of increased consumption could produce visible results.
It could lead to new strategies for encouraging the young to eat more fruit and vegetables, he said.
"Telling people they might have a heart attack in 40 years’ time if they don’t eat more healthily is one thing," the Daily Mail quoted him as telling The Grocer magazine.
"What we can do is say, "This is what you could look in a couple of months if you increased your fruit and veg intake",’ he added.
As part of the study by St Andrews and Bristol universities, 40 volunteers rated 51 Scottish Caucasian faces for healthiness and attractiveness.
