Goodbye, beauty products. Hello, baby carrots.

Health in a Heartbeat

In the universe of healthy snacks, baby carrots might just be one of the trendiest. A favored snack among the younger set, even the family dog might love a few if your hot dog stash runs dry.

New research tells us that if you’re a young adult, these cutest of carrots could boost your skin, too.

A team from Samford University presented findings at a national gathering of nutritionists that suggest nibbling on carrots a few times a week — especially in conjunction with a multivitamin — can improve skin carotenoid levels.

Besides increasing immunity, higher skin carotenoid levels mean better antioxidant protection and lower risk for diseases like cancer and heart ailments. And carotenoids help protect skin against premature aging and hyperpigmentation from UV radiation, hormones, and acne.

The researchers randomly assigned 60 young adults to three groups. One group snacked on Granny Smith apple slices for a month, the second took a multivitamin with beta-carotene, and the third ate baby carrots plus the multivitamin.

The researchers used an instrument called a Veggie Meter to measure skin carotenoids, which create the bright colors in some fruits and vegetables.

The subjects who ate baby carrots saw their skin carotenoid scores rise by 10%. Those who took the multivitamin and ate baby carrots saw their scores go up more than 21%.

Those who ate apple slices saw no change in carotenoid levels. Nor did those who only took the multivitamin.

So, if you’d like nicer skin: Add carrots and a multivitamin to your menu.

Scientists say their research plate includes studying colorful sweet potatoes and green, leafy vegetables.