Carotenoid colour as a cue to health in human skin

Human skin color--Health aspects;Carotenoids

Henderson, Audrey Joan ; Perrett, David ; Perrett, David

University:University of St Andrews

Department:Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)

关键词: Human skin color--Health aspects;    Carotenoids;   

Others  :  https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/16670/AudreyHendersonPhDThesis.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

来源: DR-NTU

【 摘 要 】

Carotenoids are red-yellow plant based pigments. When consumed, they contribute to humanskin yellowness which in turn is perceived as healthy and attractive looking. In many non-primate species, carotenoids colour sexually selected ornaments, signalling health. This thesisexplores the relationship between skin yellowness and aspects of human health to test thehypothesis that carotenoid colouration of skin acts as a cue to health beyond diet.Chapter 2 presents a demonstration that a modest change in carotenoid intake can lead to afavourable change in appearance. Chapter 3 investigates the relationship between skinyellowness and a number of health related risk factors. Findings show that that psychologicalstress varies with skin yellowness (independent of fruit and vegetable intake) both betweenand within participants. Chapter 4 investigates the relationship between prior symptoms ofinfectious illness (e.g. cold and flus); finding that symptoms experienced during the prioreight weeks are related to skin yellowness between subjects and also within (marginally).More recent symptoms of illness (i.e. the prior week) were not reflected in skin yellowness.The final empirical chapter explores skin colour and plasma carotenoid changes withexperimentally induced sickness. Plasma carotenoids were found to reflect baseline skinyellowness and showed a reduction in response to sickness but this reduction was notreflected in skin yellowness. Skin colour did change in a manner consistent with changes inblood perfusion and oxygenation status. A follow-up perceptual study confirmed that thischange can reliably inform judgements of health.Taken together, findings suggest that skin yellowness is related to aspects of health beyonddiet (i.e. psychological stress and prior illness) on a timescale of weeks but not days; likelyreflecting the time taken for carotenoids to reach the skin. Theoretically, findings support thehypothesis that carotenoid colouration of human skin is a cue to health.