If you want to look your best in the morning, it may be worth swapping the ultra-processed pastries and fruit juice for wholemeal toast and tea without sugar.
Researchers in France found that people who ate a breakfast rich in refined carbohydrates were rated less attractive than those who started the day with healthier unrefined carbs.
Scientists at the University of Montpellier believe the subtle shift in facial attractiveness may be driven by changes in blood sugar and insulin that can affect skin appearance and have longer-term effects on sex hormones.
“It’s surprising to consider but our dietary choices can have rapid effects on our appearance,” said Dr Claire Berticat, an evolutionary biologist and the first author on the study. “These physiological changes could subtly alter facial features, impacting how others perceive attractiveness.”
The researchers recruited 52 men and 52 women aged 20 to 30 and randomly assigned them to have a 500-calorie breakfast rich in either refined or unrefined carbohydrates. The refined carbs breakfast included a French baguette made from industrially milled flour, jam, apple or orange juice, and tea or coffee with sugar available. The unrefined carbs meal was stoneground wholemeal bread with butter and cheese, an orange or apple, and tea or coffee without sugar.
The scientists measured blood sugar levels of volunteers before and after they ate and then took headshots of the participants under controlled lighting conditions. The photos were then passed to groups of raters to estimate how old, how masculine or feminine and how attractive the individuals looked.
Read more here from The Guardian.
