The best foods to boost your looks, according to experts | Only Sports And Health

Nutrition

By Alex Mitchell

Eat good, feel good, look good.

If you’ve been feeling down in the dumps over your looks, giving yourself a positivity jumpstart could be as simple as making room in your diet for the right foods, experts say.

While new research reveals that eating carbs makes you appear unattractive, there are lots of natural foods that actually have appearance-boosting effects — improving the quality of your skin and even making you smell better.

For starters, seek out foods rich in carotenoids — a substance that gives many fruits and vegetables their vibrant hue.

They’re not just making your meals look good — a 2012 report associated carotenoids, and the golden tint they give a person’s skin over six weeks of regular consumption, with making people more appear attractive. Study authors claimed carotenoids could “be used as a motivational tool in dietary intervention.”

“Some studies show carotenoids may help your skin by improving elasticity, hydration, skin texture, wrinkles, and age spots,” Mackenzie Burgess, registered dietitian nutritionist and recipe developer at Cheerful Choices, told The Post.

Fruits and vegetables that are rich in the supermarket beauty supplement include sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash and dark leafy greens like spinach and kale, according to the University of Illinois.

Others are orange peppers, corn, asparagus, tomatoes and tomato products, watermelons, grapefruit, and guavas.

Both egg yolks and pistachios are also good sources, per the university.

Believe it or not, carotenoids — which also protect from harmful ultraviolet rays — can even boost body odor so that it smells more pleasant.

The stink subject was put to the test in 2017 research that found sweat to smell better when on a high-carotenoid diet.

Specifically, women’s reactions “were more positive when smelling sweat from men who had consumed more fruit and vegetables.”

“Certain antioxidants and nutrients may help neutralize the body’s odor-causing compound, leading to a more pleasant smelling sweat,” Burgess added. She also noted that phytonutrients in fruits and veggies — known also as antioxidants — are associated with boosting mood and cognitive function.

Another beautifying substance running abundant in common meats and healthy fats is the protein collagen — known for boosting skin elasticity plus growth for muscles, the skin, nails, and hair.

Abundant portions of collagen can even be found in hearty meals like pot roast, brisket, and chuck steak, according to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Collagen is also found in bone broth, along with the bones and skin of fresh and saltwater fish.

Burgess also advises seeking foods like salmon or flax seeds for their rich amounts of the fatty acid Omega3 for similar purposes.

“Omega-3 can also help support the skin’s lipid barrier by locking in hydration, and its anti-inflammatory effects may help psoriasis, skin ulcers, and acne severity,” the nutritionist mentioned.

“Try an easy recipe like air fryer salmon bites as a way to pump up the Omega-3s in your diet.”