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  #1   ^
Old Thu, Mar-07-24, 00:59
Demi's Avatar
Demi Demi is offline
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Default Want to look attractive in the morning? Avoid toast for breakfast

Quote:
Want to look attractive in the morning? Avoid toast for breakfast

High-carb meal first thing can make people look puffy and bloated, while cheese or milk make people appear better looking, study suggests


Eating a breakfast packed with carbohydrates, such as white toast, pastries and cereal, can make people look less attractive in as little as two hours, scientists have found.

The puffiness and bloating that accompanies eating refined carbohydrates is known as “carb face” but until now scientists have never studied its impact on attraction.

For the new study, French researchers asked 104 volunteers to consume either a breakfast high in carbs, or a low-glycemic breakfast that can include foods such as porridge, eggs or fruit.

After two hours, participants had their picture taken and additional volunteers were asked to say which images they found most appealing.

Statistical analysis showed that consuming the high-carb breakfast was associated with lower facial attractiveness ratings for both men and women.

In contrast, eating a diet in fat, such as cheese or milk, made people appear better looking.

Carbs after lunch? That’s OK for men...

The team also asked volunteers to fill in questionnaires about their general eating habits, and found that chronic consumption of carbs throughout the day was associated with general lower attractiveness, while high-energy foods were linked to higher attractiveness ratings.

Men, however, were perceived as more good-looking if they snacked on carbs in the afternoon. The opposite was true for women.

Researcher Claire Berticat, of the University of Montpellier, said: “We have found that consumption of refined carbohydrates, whether immediate or chronic, affects facial attractiveness.

“We found that the results differed, at least for men, according to the different meals of the day – breakfast, afternoon snack and between-meal snack.

“The varying impact of different meals on attractiveness highlights the complexity of dietary influences on physiology.”

Researchers said there were scientific reasons why a high-carb diet may impact facial attractiveness, including triggering hypoglycemia which affects blood flow and the skin. It may also influence sex hormones which can change face shape.

Past research has shown female faces may change shape subtly during peak ovulation, becoming more attractive to men.

Hypoglycemia is also known to speed up skin ageing.

‘Far-reaching impact of diet on facial attractiveness’

Berticat said it was not surprising that the impacts were different for men and women in some instances.

“As physiology and metabolism are profoundly different between men and women, sex differences were not unexpected,” she added. “Men consuming high glycemic load [afternoon] snacks during this time may appear more attractive due to the immediate glucose boost.

“However, for women, high-glycemic load snacks in the afternoon may lead to a negative effect on attractiveness, possibly due to an older appearance linked to hyperglycemia’s aging effects on the skin.”

She added: “Our findings serve as a compelling reminder of the far-reaching impact of dietary choices not only on health, but also on traits having particular social importance such as facial attractiveness.

“Investigating how refined carbohydrate consumption may influence other traits influenced by sexual hormones could provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between diet, biology, and social behaviour.”

The research was published in the journal PLOS One.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...high-carb-diet/


Quote:
Chronic and immediate refined carbohydrate consumption and facial attractiveness

Abstract


The Western diet has undergone a massive switch since the second half of the 20th century, with the massive increase of the consumption of refined carbohydrate associated with many adverse health effects. The physiological mechanisms linked to this consumption, such as hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinemia, may impact non medical traits such as facial attractiveness. To explore this issue, the relationship between facial attractiveness and immediate and chronic refined carbohydrate consumption estimated by glycemic load was studied for 104 French subjects. Facial attractiveness was assessed by opposite sex raters using pictures taken two hours after a controlled breakfast. Chronic consumption was assessed considering three high glycemic risk meals: breakfast, afternoon snacking and between-meal snacking. Immediate consumption of a high glycemic breakfast decreased facial attractiveness for men and women while controlling for several control variables, including energy intake. Chronic refined carbohydrate consumption had different effects on attractiveness depending on the meal and/or the sex. Chronic refined carbohydrate consumption, estimated by the glycemic load, during the three studied meals reduced attractiveness, while a high energy intake increased it. Nevertheless, the effect was reversed for men concerning the afternoon snack, for which a high energy intake reduced attractiveness and a high glycemic load increased it. These effects were maintained when potential confounders for facial attractiveness were controlled such as age, age departure from actual age, masculinity/femininity (perceived and measured), BMI, physical activity, parental home ownership, smoking, couple status, hormonal contraceptive use (for women), and facial hairiness (for men). Results were possibly mediated by an increase in age appearance for women and a decrease in perceived masculinity for men. The physiological differences between the three meals studied and the interpretation of the results from an adaptive/maladaptive point of view in relation to our new dietary environment are discussed.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/a...al.pone.0298984
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  #2   ^
Old Thu, Mar-07-24, 04:15
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is offline
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Plan: P:E/DDF
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How exactly do they control these confounders?
Quote:
These effects were maintained when potential confounders for facial attractiveness were controlled such as age, age departure from actual age, masculinity/femininity (perceived and measured), BMI, physical activity, parental home ownership, smoking, couple status, hormonal contraceptive use (for women), and facial hairiness (for men). Results were possibly mediated by an increase in age appearance for women and a decrease in perceived masculinity for men.
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  #3   ^
Old Thu, Mar-07-24, 08:07
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Calianna Calianna is offline
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Plan: Atkins-ish (hypoglycemia)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JEY100

How exactly do they control these confounders?


Not only that, how exactly do they "measure" things like departure from actual age? As in someone who is 48 but looks 30? Or is 25 but looks 40?


What does parental home ownership have to do with facial attraction - and how can that be a confounding factor?
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  #4   ^
Old Wed, Mar-20-24, 04:51
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WereBear WereBear is offline
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Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
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Default

Indeed, but at least they are trying with the confounders. Not like red meat gets such a deal

But I remember those worm studies? They acted younger, longer, when their carbs were restricted. Good enough for that scientist to switch to low carb, and good enough for me to stick with for 20 years.

Also, it brings to mind "for their age" as... what? I guess it's always the same. As a teen I was judged by teen models, and in seniorhood, it is the same. Except what you get sold is so unexciting.
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  #5   ^
Old Wed, Mar-20-24, 08:10
Dodger's Avatar
Dodger Dodger is offline
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I don't see how there could be any statistical significance with 104 subjects (half male and half female) and 10 or so cofounder adjustments. Each cofounder adjustment adds more uncertainty.

I don't snack so females must find me unattractive in the afternoon!
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  #6   ^
Old Wed, Mar-20-24, 10:34
Demi's Avatar
Demi Demi is offline
Posts: 26,767
 
Plan: Muscle Centric
Stats: 238/153/160 Female 5'10"
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Progress: 109%
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Default

Taken from another article in the Telegraph:

Quote:
“We were not surprised by the results,” Dr Claire Berticat, an evolutionary biologist and the lead author on the study tells me. “The harmful effects on health of excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates are well known. So we sought to delve deeper into this relatively under-researched area.”

And while it might seem quite niche, the results do make some sense. Dr Berticat explains: “among other things, excessive refined carbohydrate consumption can accelerate glycation processes in the skin, leading to premature ageing and a decrease in overall skin health.”

In simple terms, eating refined carbs can cause your insulin levels to spike, which causes inflammation. This inflammation can break down collagen and elastin, resulting in saggy, old-looking skin, which is also dry and dull.

The effects, say Dr Berticat, can be noticed straight away, but eating refined carbs regularly can lead to chronic hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, and will also slow your metabolism and so the ability of your body to quickly turn over new skin cells.

All of which means you shouldn’t be avoiding refined carbs just at breakfast time, but most of the time. Otherwise you’ll end up looking as old as Methuselah in a matter of months.

Caution, of course, should be exercised. “I wouldn’t read too much into one small study,” warns Dr Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology and the founder of the Zoe programme.

“Lots of other things are going on when you’re having a carb-based meal than blood sugar – that’s just an easy thing to measure.” He suggests that “humans are very good at detecting someone whose body is showing signs of stress, and what we’re doing with highly refined carbs is increasing our inflammation levels in the blood.

“That’s raising our immune system and sending signals round our body that we’re in a state of combating illness or infection, so it makes sense that humans might be able to detect that.”

It all seems a bit scary. Surely a croissant isn’t going to do me that much damage?

But then I cast my thoughts back to when I was eating breakfast and remember that yes, those mornings that were fuelled by a milky latte and a pain au chocolat gave me a pleasant glow for about 20 minutes, but left me feeling bloated, sluggish and snappy shortly after.

“I used to eat like that and I was always very tired about three hours afterwards,” agrees Spector. And we can all agree that nobody wants to lean in for a kiss with a tired, grumpy person.

Eat like that and, says the nutritionist Dr Gabriela Peacock, “you’ll be on a blood sugar rollercoaster. It will spike, and then get so low that you’ll present as miserable, rather than attractive and sparkling”.

What we should be doing instead, advises Dr Peacock, is adding fibre and protein, which are “essential to keep your energy levels nice and balanced throughout the day”.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-...n-libido-carbs/

It's a big YES to fibre and protein from me!
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