Cancer Council Australia

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

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Dark, Human, Food, Diet, Cancer, Eating, Lung cancer, Nutrient, Immunity, Vitamin A, Medicine, Vegetable, Carotenoid, Reproduction, Lycopene, Nose, Lutein, Dietary supplement, Gland, Risk, Smoke, Cancer Council Australia, Liver, Growth, Product, Skin, Phosphorus, Food preservation, Cosmetics, Frankincense, Animal feed

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?

Key Points: 


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?

Read more:
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.

Is red meat bad for you? And does it make a difference if it's a processed burger or a lean steak?

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Association, Review, Human, Diet, Zinc, Red meat, Cancer, Eating, Type 2 diabetes, Nutrient, Breast, National Heart Foundation of Australia, Research, Supermarket, Lung, Hormone, Cardiovascular disease, Animal, Iron, Risk, Colorectal cancer, Cancer Council Australia, Ethics, Health, Sodium, Meat, Smoking, Environment, Dietary supplement, Animal husbandry, Livestock, Beef cattle, Poultry farming, Food preservation, Dairy, Convenience food

Yet research shows regularly eating red meat can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

Key Points: 
  • Yet research shows regularly eating red meat can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
  • And how much red meat should we really be eating?

Types of red meat

    • First of all, it’s good to clarify that red meat refers to all mammalian muscle meat.
    • Then we can distinguish red meat types by how the animal has been raised and how the meat is processed.
    • This means grass-fed meat tends to have higher levels of unsaturated fats than conventional meat, and is why some research suggests it’s healthier.

What is the nutritional value of red meat?

    • Red meat contains many nutrients that are important for health, including protein, vitamin B12, iron and zinc.
    • Red meat is a good source of iron and zinc as they are more easily absorbed by the body from meat than from plant foods.
    • Red meat is often high in saturated fats, but this can range widely from less than 1% to over 25% depending on the cut and whether it’s trimmed of fat or not.

Is red meat bad for your health? And does the type matter?

    • It’s widely reported eating too much red meat is bad for your health, because it can increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
    • But most of the evidence for this comes from observational studies, which cannot determine whether red meat intake actually causes the condition.
    • Cancer Leading international organisations have declared there’s strong evidence consumption of red and processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
    • Read more:
      Yes, we still need to cut down on red and processed meat

How much red meat should you eat?

    • For heart health specifically, the national Heart Foundation recommends eating less than 350g of cooked, unprocessed red meat per week (or less than 50g a day).
    • To optimise both human nutrition and planetary health, the EAT-Lancet commission recommends consuming no more than 98g a week of red meat and very low intakes of processed meat.

So what does all of this mean for your diet?

    • Where possible, opt for unprocessed or lean cuts, and try to grill less and roast more.
    • Read more:
      How to get the nutrients you need without eating as much red meat

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE JOINS THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AND COACHES VS. CANCER TO LAUNCH THE INAUGURAL "BE A GAME CHANGER" CAMPAIGN

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 4, 2022
Steakhouse, ACS, American Cancer Society, Research, Red onion, Game Changer, Coach, Friends, National Association, Awareness, Program, Sale, Outback Steakhouse, National Association of Basketball Coaches, Time, NABC, Women's Basketball Coaches Association, Partnership, Cancer Council Australia, Mobile phone, Birth control, Outback, Cancer

"Outback Steakhouse is excited to partner with the American Cancer Society and Coaches vs. Cancer," said Brett Patterson, President of Outback Steakhouse.

Key Points: 
  • "Outback Steakhouse is excited to partner with the American Cancer Society and Coaches vs. Cancer," said Brett Patterson, President of Outback Steakhouse.
  • The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has partnered with the Coaches vs. Cancer program benefiting the American Cancer Society for over 25 years.
  • "We are thrilled to have Outback Steakhouse join us in our inaugural Be A Game Changer campaign," said Lon Kruger, longtime Division I basketball coach and Coaches vs. Cancer Council chair for the American Cancer Society.
  • About the American Cancer Society:
    The American Cancer Society is on a mission to free the world from cancer.