Plant-based eating has long been promoted for its potential health benefits, and a new review suggests appearance could provide another motivation for some people. Research indicates that aspects of diet may influence features involved in perceived attractiveness, including skin coloration, body odor and body composition.
With obesity rates remaining high in the United States and many other countries, researchers have explored whether near-term, visible outcomes might motivate dietary changes differently from messages focused primarily on long-term disease risk.
How diet may change our looks
In a review published in Recent Progress in Nutrition, nutrition researchers David Goldman of the University of Helsinki and Matthew Nagra of the University of British Columbia examined more than 30 studies investigating relationships between diet and perceived attractiveness. They highlighted three main areas: facial appearance, body odor and body composition.
Several experiments have examined carotenoids, pigments responsible for many of the yellow, orange and red colors in fruits and vegetables. Greater consumption of carotenoid-rich foods can produce subtle changes in skin coloration, including a warmer or more golden appearance.
In some studies, observers rated carotenoid-associated skin coloration as healthier or more attractive. However, these perceptions should not be interpreted as proof that skin coloration accurately reflects a person’s overall physiological health.
The role of scent and body composition
Diet may also influence body odor. Small studies have found associations between dietary patterns and how pleasant other people perceive an individual’s scent to be, although the evidence remains limited and results are not entirely consistent.
Garlic provides an unexpected example. Despite its familiar effects on breath, some experimental research has found that garlic consumption can influence ratings of axillary body odor, with certain amounts associated with more pleasant or attractive ratings. The mechanisms behind this finding remain uncertain.
Body composition represents another potential connection between diet and perceived attractiveness. Studies have found relationships between body fat and attractiveness ratings, although preferences vary between individuals, populations and cultural settings.
Plant-based and plant-forward dietary patterns are often associated with lower average body mass index, and randomized dietary interventions have found that some plant-based approaches can support weight loss. However, these findings do not establish that vegetarian or vegan diets necessarily produce body changes that others will perceive as more attractive.
The review therefore suggests several possible pathways through which diet could influence appearance, but it does not demonstrate that adopting a plant-based diet will make an individual more attractive.
Ethical concerns over appearance messaging
Goldman and Nagra also highlight ethical concerns surrounding the use of attractiveness as a public health motivation. Messages centered on weight or appearance can reinforce narrow body ideals, encourage self-objectification or contribute to stigma.
Weight-stigmatizing campaigns in particular can have unintended psychological and behavioral consequences. Appearance-focused messaging may also be inappropriate for people vulnerable to disordered eating or excessive concern about body image.
The authors therefore distinguish between weight-centered messaging and approaches emphasizing less stigmatizing visible changes, such as the subtle skin coloration associated with increased fruit and vegetable consumption.
Even these approaches require care. Attractiveness is subjective, and presenting a particular appearance as inherently healthier or more desirable could reinforce social pressures rather than simply encourage nutritious eating.
Can visuals encourage healthier eating?
Some experimental research suggests that appearance-related feedback may influence dietary behavior. Studies have used images showing participants how increased fruit and vegetable consumption could potentially alter skin coloration.
In one intervention, participants shown personalized facial images illustrating possible carotenoid-related skin changes subsequently increased their fruit and vegetable consumption over a 10-week period compared with participants receiving conventional health information.
Such findings suggest that visible, relatively short-term outcomes could provide additional motivation for some people. However, these interventions do not establish that appearance-based messaging produces durable dietary changes or improves long-term health.
The review proposes that carefully designed appearance-related messages could potentially complement rather than replace conventional information about the health benefits of nutritious diets.
Any broader use would require stronger evidence that such strategies can improve dietary behavior without increasing body dissatisfaction, stigma or disordered eating. Longer-term and independent studies would be particularly valuable.
The authors also disclosed potential conflicts of interest. Goldman works in research and development at nutrition company Metabite, while Nagra has consulted for Soy Nutrition Institute Global.
Overall, the evidence suggests that diet can influence some physical characteristics that contribute to how appearance is perceived, particularly skin coloration and possibly body odor. But the research does not establish a simple equation between plant-based eating and attractiveness. Whether appearance can be used ethically and effectively to encourage healthier eating remains an open question.
