Of course, you can also have cosmetic surgery or smear a ridiculously expensive cream on your face every morning and then look in the bathroom mirror for weeks or months and hope that something changes. But it’s quicker and cheaper, at least that’s what a team of researchers led by evolutionary biologists Claire Berticat and Amandine Visine from the University of Montpellier claim, if you choose the right foods for breakfast. Essentially it’s about the question: croissant (the researchers work in France) or whole grain muesli? Like the researchers in… Journal Plos One report that test subjects appeared, at least temporarily, more attractive if they chose healthy products made from unrefined, minimally processed carbohydrates for breakfast.
For the study, the scientists recruited 104 healthy volunteers between the ages of 20 and 30, 52 men and 52 women. Using a computer-generated random decision, they were then assigned a breakfast with a maximum of 500 calories, either with refined carbohydrates or only with simple, unprocessed carbohydrates. Specifically, this means: One group received baguettes made from industrial flour, jam, apple or orange juice and sweetened tea or coffee. The other group had whole grain bread with cheese and butter, an orange or apple, and unsweetened coffee or tea for breakfast. Blood sugar was measured before and after the meal, and all participants also filled out a questionnaire about their eating habits.
The test subjects were not allowed to wear jewelry and were not allowed to smile
On top of that, all participating men and women were photographed in an identical way two hours after their breakfast: against a white background and in standardized light. They were not allowed to wear jewelry, glasses, or make-up; they were not even allowed to smile. Then there was the test: 256 people who were randomly approached in public places in Montpellier were asked to rate the attractiveness of the photographed study participants, whereby they were always presented with pictures of the opposite sex. The results were clear: Men and women who ate the healthier breakfast with fewer refined carbohydrates appeared, on average, more attractive.
No wonder, says psychologist David Perret from the University of St. Andrews in a comment on the study Guardian, who researches how health is reflected on the face. Because refined carbohydrates quickly affected blood flow. “And blood flow can change the appearance of the skin very quickly.” You can see this in the pale faces of people who felt sick. “We know that most people look healthier and more attractive when skin color shows a slight increase in oxygen-rich blood.”
However, the study authors also point out in their paper that the long-term relationship between appearance and diet is more complex. The effect then varies with gender as well as the type and time of the respective meal. Nevertheless, author Claire Berticat insists on the fundamental finding: “Our findings are a convincing indication of the far-reaching consequences of our diet not only for health, but also for characteristics of great social importance such as facial attractiveness.”