New Study Shows Eating Fruit More Important Than Masculinity to Male Attractiveness

CAMBRIDGE, England, February 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Eating dark coloured fresh produce such as plums and nectarines has more impact on how attractive a man appears than his masculinity, according to new research.

Dr Ian Stephen of the University of Nottingham made the findings as part of his ongoing studies into effects on attractiveness of dietary carotenoids, such as those found in red or yellow fruit and vegetables. An earlier study showed that eating these pigments gave the skin a golden tone, and that men rated women who had this as the most attractive.

Dr Stephen said: "In an interview published in today's (February 3^rd) Fresh Produce Journal, a new development in this area suggests that carotenoids might be even more important to our appearance than we previously thought. Whereas a feminine appearance is very important in determining the attractiveness of women, there has been debate amongst scientists about how important masculinity is for men. Our results suggest that the "golden" colour associated with carotenoids is actually more important than masculinity, and predicted how attractive women found men's faces."

Meanwhile, a group of fruit growers has put the findings of Dr Stephen's initial study on the attractiveness of women to the test. Hortgro Services in South Africa asked 65 women to eat one plum and one nectarine every day for two weeks, asking them before and after questions about how attractive they felt. The results were as follows:

• 45.3% felt more confident about their appearance after eating the fruit
• 68.8% felt that their complexion was brighter and had a more natural glow than before
• 53.1% noticed that the condition of their skin improved

"This study is a bit of fun," said Dr Stephen, "but its results make sense in the context of our research. Our results showed that people who eat more fruit and vegetables - especially those yellow and red fruit such as plums and peaches, and green leafy veg like spinach, that contain high levels of red/yellow antioxidants - have a more 'golden' skin tone. This tone seemed to have a much better effect on healthy appearance than a suntan. Since healthy appearance is a huge part of attractiveness, it seems as though fruit and vegetables can make you more attractive."

Notes to Editors

• Dr Ian Stephen's original research was published in Evolution and Human Behavior and the International Journal of Primatology
• More information on these studies can be found at: http://www.eatpigmentedfruit.com

Dominic Weaver, +44(0)1480-465-953, dominic@redcomm.co.uk