Is TikTok right – will eating three carrots a day really give me a natural tan?

A beauty trend gaining popularity on TikTok, dubbed the “carrot tan”, claims eating three carrots a day will give you a natural tan. But can this really give you a natural glow? And is it healthy?

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Explainer: why are carrots orange?

Why would carrots affect your skin tone?

• There are many carotenoids including lutein, lycopene, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene.
• Any extra beta-carotene is then either stored in the liver and fat tissue, excreted through poo, or removed via sweat glands in the outer layer of the skin.
• Carotenoderma gives your skin a yellow/orange pigment that is not the same colour you’d turn from a sun tan.
• Carrots are not the only food that contains beta-carotene.

How many carrots are we talking?

• No high quality trials have been conducted to test the relationship between number of carrots eaten per day and skin colour changes or other outcomes.
• One published case report (where researchers talk about one patient’s case) found eating around 3 kilograms of carrots per week (about seven large carrots a day) induced skin colour changes.
• Other experts suggest you would need to eat at least ten carrots per day, for at least a few weeks, for colour changes to occur.

Is it dangerous to eat too much beta-carotene?

• When you eat these foods the preformed vitamin A is already ready to be used by the body.
• Provitamin A compounds (including beta-carotene) are the precursors to vitamin A. Provitamin A compounds need to be converted into active vitamin A once inside the body.
• Read more:
  Carrots and pumpkin might reduce your risk of cancer, but beware taking them in pill form

Why you should aim for a variety of vegetables

• Incorporating various colourful vegetables, particularly those high in carotenoids, into your diet may promote a natural radiance and a gentle enhancement in skin tone.
• Rather than processed foods, a high variety of fresh vegetables provide various nutrients, and some may have what others lack.