If you want to look your best in the morning, it may be worth swapping the ultra-processed pastries and fruit juice for wholemeal toast and tea without sugar. Researchers in France found that people who ate a breakfast rich in refined carbohydrates were rated less attractive than those who started the day with healthier unrefined carbs. Scientists at the University of Montpellier believe the subtle shift in facial attractiveness may be driven by changes in blood sugar and insulin that can affect skin appearance and have longer-term effects on sex hormones. “It’s surprising to consider but our dietary choices can have rapid effects on our appearance,” said Dr. Claire Berticat, an evolutionary biologist and the first author of the study. “These physiological changes could subtly alter facial features, impacting how others perceive attractiveness.” The researchers recruited 52 men and 52 women aged 20 to 30 and randomly assigned them to have a 500-calorie breakfast rich in either refined or unrefined carbohydrates. The refined carbs breakfast included a French baguette made from industrially milled flour, jam, apple or orange juice, and tea or coffee with sugar available. The unrefined carbs meal was stoneground wholemeal bread with butter and cheese, an orange or apple, and tea or coffee without sugar. The scientists measured blood sugar levels of volunteers before and after they ate and then took headshots of the participants under controlled lighting conditions. The photos were then passed to groups of raters to estimate how old, how masculine or feminine and how attractive the individuals looked. Writing in Plos One, the researchers claim that eating refined carbohydrates for breakfast decreased facial attractiveness for men and women. Refined carbohydrates can produce spikes in blood sugar, which the body counters by releasing insulin. The response can drive sugar levels too low, a condition called hypoglycaemia, and affect blood flow and skin appearance. In the study, only the refined carbs breakfast produced hypoglycaemia. David Perrett, a professor of psychology at the University of St. Andrews, who has studied facial cues for health, said there should be no surprise that diet affects attractiveness. Fruit and vegetables improved attractiveness by increasing plant pigments called carotenoids in the skin, he said, while high-sugar diets could age the skin. Asked what advice she would give to people who wanted to look their best, Berticat said: “We know that refined carbohydrates have a negative impact on health and that’s reason enough to limit their consumption.” Words to Learn 相關詞匯 【全麥吐司】quánmài tǔsī wholemeal toast a type of brown bread made from the whole of a grain kernel 【法棍】fǎgùn French baguette a long thin loaf of French bread made of flour, water, yeast and salt 如果想在早上容光煥發，建議你把精制面點和果汁換成全麥吐司和不加糖的茶。 法國一項研究發現，與早餐吃健康粗糧的人相比，早餐吃精制碳水化合物的人被認為外貌吸引力較低。 法國蒙彼利埃大學的科學家認為，外貌吸引力這一微妙改變可能與血糖和胰島素的變化有關，這些變化會影響皮膚外觀并對性激素產生長期影響。 該研究的主要作者、進化生物學家克萊爾?伯蒂卡特博士表示：“雖然令人驚訝，但飲食選擇對我們外貌的影響是立竿見影的。這些生理變化可能會微妙地改變面部特征，從而影響他人感知到的吸引力。” 研究人員招募了52名20至30歲的男性和女性，隨機分配給他們一份富含精制碳水化合物或粗糧的500卡路里早餐。精制碳水化合物早餐包括工業加工面粉制成的法棍面包、果醬、蘋果汁或橙汁以及加糖的茶或咖啡。粗糧早餐則由研磨全麥面包搭配黃油奶酪、橙子或蘋果以及不加糖的茶或咖啡組成。 科學家在志愿者進食前后測量他們的血糖水平，然后在特定光線下拍攝他們的頭像照片。隨后將照片交給評審員小組，讓他們推測照片中人的年齡、男性或女性氣質以及吸引力。 研究人員在《公共科學圖書館期刊》上發表的報告指出，食用精制碳水化合物早餐會降低男女的外貌吸引力。 精制碳水化合物會導致血糖飆升，促使身體釋放胰島素。這種反應會導致血糖水平降得太低（稱為低血糖癥），影響血液流通和皮膚外觀。研究發現，只有精制碳水化合物早餐會導致這種反應。 圣安德魯斯大學心理學教授、研究面容和健康關系的大衛?佩雷特表示，飲食影響吸引力并不令人驚訝。他說，水果和蔬菜能增加皮膚中的類胡蘿卜素，增加吸引力，而高糖飲食則會使皮膚老化。 當被問及如何保持容貌，伯蒂卡特博士說：“我們知道精制碳水化合物會對健康產生負面影響，這本身就是限制攝入這類食物的充分理由。” (chinadaily.com.cn) | 